The Horror Within
by crazytuts
Summary: It's Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as he faces many obstacles along the way...a few are You-Know-Who, his new guardian Lupin, and Hermione...
1. Surprise Guest

Chapter 1 - SURPRISE GUEST  
  
Harry's pale green eyes glared intensely into the rusty mirror sitting in front of him, craving for a change in its reflection. If only he had used this damn thing when he needed to...  
  
It was almost midnight, and the distracting screeching had nearly stopped, which seemed to be coming from Hedwig. She looked a brilliant silhouette of white snow against the black, starless sky. A fresh pine smell was present in the room, which had obviously come from outside his bedroom window. It had rained earlier in the morning, but still it had been as exuberantly hot as ever. Harry glanced at his owl, forcing a slight smile as Hedwig made chirping noises. He didn't care if his uncle took all his hair out; he just wanted to get him furious. His owl appeared to be the only light in his dreadful vacation at the Dursley's....  
  
The mirror caught Harry's attention again, and staring at it reproachfully, memories floated into him. They just couldn't be ignored. The place where had first caught a glimpse of Sirius as a big, black dog entered his mind. He remembered how frightening it had been to be all alone that night, seeing a bad 'omen', as Professor Trewlaney had described it. If only he and Sirius had eloped to the Deep Forests of Albania or into the blazing desserts of Egypt, Harry'd still be happy.   
  
Hedwig suddenly started to scratch her miniature paws next to the bedroom window, making a huge racket of noise. Harry had thought the chirping was delightful, but this racket would surely infuriate Uncle Vernon.  
  
  
  
"Stop it, Hedwig, before you wake up-" He didn't get to finish what he was going to say, because the door to his right flew open, revealing a furious Uncle Vernon, showing uttermost despise and annoyance towards Harry. His eyes went from the window, to Harry's owl, and then on to Harry himself.   
  
  
  
"You control that owl," Uncle Vernon said calmly, almost that it seemed like a mere whisper, "or I'll have it locked in that cage as long as you live!" With one last loathing look, Uncle Vernon banged the door shut, causing the ground to shake. Harry smirked. His uncle was only keeping up appearances. Like Uncle Vernon would actually do that after Mr.Weasley, Mad-Eye Moody, Lupin, and Tonks had threatened them to treat him right, or else...  
  
  
  
Harry caught Hedwig's droopy eyes that were staring at him, and then back out the open window. He curiously got up, and looked out. A couple of streetlights were still shining white, portraying a bit of light around Number 4 Privet Drive. Harry swooped his eyes around, and they rested at the immense forest-wood colored bushes near Dudley's new bike. For a second, he thought he had seen a black oval shadow sneak in the bushes, but there was nothing there now. That's strange, Harry thought. He pondered if that was the cause of Hedwig's noise.   
  
  
  
Wondering, he lay back on his small bed, noticing a picture of his mom and dad hanging on the wall. They were both graciously smiling back at him, high spirited and happy. It was funny how much Harry looked like his father...  
  
  
  
Harry sighed heavily, and he knew he couldn't stand another day at Number 4 Privet Drive. He had spent four miserable days so far, barely saying two words through the course. It was depressing to think that Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and Dudley were his only family left. He would give anything to leave this house, always feeling like a trapped prisoner with no soul purpose. But, going back to Hogwarts meant dealing with people he didn't want to deal with, like Dumbledore, Ron and Hermione, or Voldemort...  
  
"WAKE UP!" A squeaky, annoyed voice entered Harry's head. He was being nudged to the point that he almost fell off his bed. Harry's foot fell down the bed, and he opened his eyes. Aunt Petunia was in front of him, blurry and disfigured.   
  
"What time is it?" Harry asked her as he put his glasses on.   
  
Ignoring the question, Aunt petunia said out of horror, "There's someone...downstairs.... GET UP!!!" By the tone of her voice, it certainly was someone non-muggle. Aunt-Petunia looked worried like she was about to get shot.  
  
As soon as Harry was downstairs, Lupin's young face was smiling back at him. There seemed to be a glint in his eyes, revealing a glow on his clean, and shaven face. He was wearing a lavender shirt, with green dress pants. HE DID NOT MATCH AT ALL. Harry tried to resist himself from laughing, but at the element of surprise, his mouth blew open to a laugh.  
  
"Lupin, what are you doing here?? And why are you wearing that?" He asked.  
  
"Well, I was just asking you dear uncle on how you are, and you seem fine. Just wearing this because it's my day off." He smiled. "I'm here to take you back to Gri-Headquarters." Harry realized that Lupin was going to say Grimmuald's place, but for some reason he didn't. His aunt, uncle, and cousin were staring at him and Lupin back and forth, as if he was going to attack them any second. The terror on their faces was amusing. Dudley was sitting on the sofa bed, curled up like a ball. Aunt Petunia was mostly glaring viciously at Harry, but avoiding Lupin's eyes, showing shame.   
  
"Harry, could you please pack up your things?" He nodded and trotted back up the stairs like a dog.  
  
"What headquarters?" He heard Uncle Vernon ask, as if he even cares, Harry thought.  
  
As they were chatting, Harry got his books, clothes, and other things together, along with the old mirror. This was a total surprise to him, because he had expected someone to take him away after he had went through the agony of staying at this house. In a way, he was glad, but to face everyone after he had heard that prophecy...  
  
With a clutch of Hedwig's case, Harry was ready to go, and he went downstairs.  
  
"...Fine." Uncle Vernon spat out. Apparently Lupin and his uncle had been chatting, as he had heard their voices traveling upstairs. Lupin smiled sweetly at Uncle Vernon, turning his head to look at Dudley, but Harry's cousin looked away. Finally, Lupin's eyes rested on Petunia and he quietly said, "Good bye, Petunia. I'll be seeing you soon." Harry was astonished. What did Lupin mean, 'I'll be seeing you soon." He surely wasn't coming back here 'soon'?   
  
"Let's go, Harry."   
  
Harry took a fleeting look at his cousin, aunt, and uncle, and then stepped out of the house. Lupin looked at Harry, then took out his wand, and said, "Accio Portkey!"  
  
A little brown branch appeared on the ground. Then he said, "I would've used it inside, but I got the feeling that your uncle and aunt don't like magic." He smirked, trying to cheer Harry up. The early morning was beautiful, a swirl of birds were flying up in the sky, almost concealing the scorching sun, burning with energy. His curiosity returned when Harry looked back at the house.   
  
"What did you mean, when you said 'I'll be seeing you soon?" He asked suspiciously, not looking straight at Lupin.   
  
"I'll tell you in a moment. Let's go." Both of them lightly touched the portkey, sending them through whirls and colors of light. For some reason, Harry suddenly felt sick, and his scar twitched slightly.   
  
In an instant, they were there. Even in the dawn of the morning, the street they were on looked dead. The battered houses that Harry had witnessed at night last year, looked worse in the day. A pile of trash was sitting near a pale blue house, giving off a pungent smell. Harry looked forward and two houses stood at him, numbered 11 and 13. Harry expected a slimy black door to pop out as it had, but it didn't. Wondering, he looked at Lupin.   
  
"Butterbeer." He said in a soft whisper. A long, narrow split opened next to the evergreen tree in front of them. It was like a cut on somebody's arm, but transparent and about 7 ft long.   
  
"Go in." Lupin commanded. Harry stepped forward. He couldn't believe he was almost in this dreadful, weary, despicable old house again. Harry knew that the moment he would look around, everything would remind him of Sirius... 


	2. Desperate Need

Chapter 2 - DESPERATE NEED  
  
An emerald green door made of steel, having a black snake representing the knob, flew open as a short man strolled in. His baldhead shined under the dim light of the torches in the bizarre room. It resembled as a huge closet, having no windows, just four torches, and stacks of parchment, used quills, and spilled blue ink on the wooden polished floor. The humble man gazed around, and noticed that the walls weren't solid. They were like globs of melted plastic oozing out and going back in, having a mixture of gold and green.   
  
"Wormtail." A dangerous voice spoke. Wormtail, stunned, looked forward. A glimpse of light flicked in front of him, revealing a powerful wizard dressed in dark brown robes, his hood unlatched. Sitting on a hard, but wide chair, he patted a slimy black serpent that was hissing venomously at Wormtail. He was tall, but skinny. The red, murderous eyes on his wrinkled, but young face glared back at Wormtail's, his wand ready in his right hand.   
  
Wormtail bowed his head with sincerity, and, with full of fright, his tiny voice rang out like an echo in the room, "My Lord...please forgive me, please...he was taken away." His voice was lost, and he stared down at the floor, pretending to find it fascinating.  
  
"Yes, I know," a reply came, with an unapproved tone in his voice, "you have failed me, Wormtail. I gave you specific orders to bring the boy here. You know how important it is FOR HIM TO BE HERE! Crucio!"   
  
With shock, Wormtail shrieked with pain, throbbing and hurting all over. His knees weakened and he fell down, aiming for his master's feet.   
  
  
  
His master's wand pointed right at Wormtail's nose, "Get up. You perfectly know that you would be dead now if it wasn't for the companionship I NEED right now. I need Potter here." Wormtail looked up at his eyes, and then down again. Despite his desperate attempts, he had failed his master. Feeling weak all over, his body swooped up and he said, "I am so sorry, My Lord..."  
  
"Yes. Do you know how important that boy is to me? I need to know that bloody prophecy, and the only way I can now is through him, unless you would like to walk to that school and ask for it. The Muggle-fool ought to have told Potter by now, and I MUST know what it is, Wormtail."  
  
"And after I do that, I shall torture him and kill him. He has thwarted me one too many times. Destroying the Sorcerer's Stone, killing my memory and the basilisk, imprisoning my family once again..."  
  
"Now, since you are too incompetent for this job, I'll leave it to Bella, even though it is risky, but I can't be patient anymore." His wide, scarlet eyes tightened together and, looking up, he went into intense thought. After a couple of minutes, his head came down to Wormtail's face.  
  
"Come here." He ordered. Wormtail hesitated, and then took a step forward. His master's forefinger came out and touched Wormtail's Dark Mark. He gasped as the mark turned from bright red to vivid black.   
  
In a few moments, a middle sized woman appeared. She had heavy lidded eyes, with black circles underneath them that seemed to look weird on her thin and long face. Her dark green robes looked a shiny forest green in the light; they lowered as the woman bowed graciously to her master. "My Lord, how can I be of service?" She asked nicely, still looking down.   
  
"Stand up, Bella." He said. "Well, did you follow my orders?"   
  
The woman, Bella, strongly said, "Yes, my Lord, I have stationed them around and underneath the house just as you ordered. Macnair has assisted me, and soon, we will do the same around the Burrow." The globs glued to the wall were bumping in and out like crazy, distracting Wormtail to gaze all around him.  
  
A moment after Bella had spoken, she rummaged through her robes and pulled out a fresh piece of parchment. She rolled it out, and handed it, with full satisfaction, to her master. The parchment was almost as long as Wormtail, which was saying something. It had a huge outline of a house on it, with various slits and boxes. It was almost like a photograph, full of color and revealing what each room in the house looked like. Along with the inside of the house, were other empty areas around and underneath the house. They were dark and deserted.  
  
"This is the map of the house. It was given to me by the house elf, who is right now residing at Lucius Malfoy's house."  
  
Bella's master's eyes glared at the map, finding it fascinating. After a couple of minutes, the red eyes looked up at Bella with appreciation. "Good work, Bella. You surely will be rewarded...Now, I need you to bring the boy to me."  
  
  
  
Bella's lips wavered nervously, and then, with a small voice, she said, "But, Your Graciousness, he is well protected, and it will be difficult-"  
  
She was cut off, "Bella, it will be difficult, but I have begun to be desperate. Surely it will not be as tough as it was before, since he is no longer under the protection of his only family, as Wormtail has recently informed me. He will be weak, surrendered, you KNOW what I am talking about." He spoke, with a little contempt.   
  
  
  
"All right, Master, as you wish, but I will need back up..."  
  
"Of course." Bella's master sneered. Bella took a few steps back and put her green hood back on. She bowed her head to him, and then Disapparated into thin air.   
  
The tall man turned to a squirming Wormtail, and said, "Now, this is what I want you to do..." 


	3. A new Guardian

Chapter 3 - A NEW GUARDIAN  
  
Almost everything was the same as Harry had remembered it. As he wakled through the front door, he noticed several gas lamps flickering. The old ripped, and gloomy wallpaper that had once covered the walls were now plastered with bright sky blue wallpaper. Harry's eyes gazed up, where there were two crystal chandeliers glimmering. The various portraits on the wall were staring at Harry, some with strange looks on their faces, other with utter disgust. Obviously, they did not welcome Harry at all.   
  
Getting distracted, Harry pivoted his head towards Lupin, "Can you tell me now why you'll be seeing Aunt Petunia soon?"   
  
Lupin glanced shortly at Harry as they walked. "You must really despise your aunt and uncle, Harry. We, I mean Moody and I have invited her here tomorrow."  
  
Astonished, Harry put his bag down and sat on a wooden chair next to a small sone water fountain, shooting green sparks of light, along with bright yellow purple striped fish. Why was his aunt going to come here at Grimmuald Place? Harry thought. It was more impossible for Aunt Petunia to meddle with magic than for Dudley to starve for one whole day. But, Harry remembered a little sentence that had slipped out of his aunt's face last year, about the dementors...  
  
Before Harry had a chance to speak, Lupin said, "We have invited her for two reasongs. One is for," Lupin paused, with a little bit of hesitation, "Sirius's memorial tomorrow morning."  
  
Harry's eyebrows rose as Lupin went to the kitchen to get some food.  
  
"What would you like for breakfast, Harry? Molly just left to- she left some bacon and eggs, and toast, so I could..." Lupin kept on gibbering as if he hadn't said anything serious...What kind of memorial? If this was like a funeral, they you actually would need his body there. Harry wasn't really hungry.   
  
He asked Lupin, "Where is everyone?"  
  
Pots and dishes made loud shattering noises. Harry got up and sat at the cair to the far left of the dinner table. On the white silky table cloth was milk, bacon, scrambled egs, and brown toast. Harry grabbed some bacon and milk, and ate the bacon without making any noise.  
  
Lupin replied, "They are all out, but don't worry, people will starting showing in about a half an hour. Oh, and the second reason your aunt will be here is that I want to ask her, and you, if I can be your full-time guardian."  
  
At this sentence, Harry coughed out chews and bits of bacon back on his plate. He couldn't stop coughing because his throat felt soar.  
  
Lupin was surprised, but it was hid as he got a glass of water for Harry. Harry tried to smile, but only a weak grin came out. It wasn't the fact that he didn't want Lupin to be his guardian, but what had alarmed him was that it was so forward...  
  
"I'm sorry." Lupin apologized. "I suppose I should've given you wore time to think about-"  
  
Harry quickly interrupted, not wanting to hurt Lupin, "No, no. It was like a shot in the dark, that's all. It's all right with me if you want to be my guardian." He didn't know if he was lying or not, he did not know what he felt.  
  
Lupin's face, that had suddenly tightened, loosened now.  
  
For a couple of minutes, both ate in silence, and Harry couldn't stand it. If Lupin was going to be his guardian, he might as well be open with him.   
  
"But, Lupin, Dumbledore told me that I had to live with Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon for the summer because of the protection..."  
  
Lupin loked at him for about a second, and then answered, "Professor Dumbledore, Harry. Yes, you were well protected there, but not anymore. You were being watched, Harry."  
  
Harry's green eyes widened. The oval black shape that he had seen last night floated back into his mind. Now that he thought about it, it had looked like a hood on a person.  
  
"That's what I saw last night, Lupin. That was what Hedwig was racketing about." Harry crouched over so he could see Hedwig in her cage resting on the side of the entrace hallway. She seemed extremely happy, and Harry kept in mind that he had to let her fly around later.  
  
"Yes, Harry. Now that they cannot get their hands on that prophecy-yes, Proffessor Dumbledore told me that he had informed you about it- they have to get their hands on you." Now that Harry glanced at Lupin, his face seemed weary and overworked,  
  
He continued, "But, as long as I am here, as well as the order of the phoenix, they won't be able to even touch you." He smiled with full courage.  
  
Harry's heart felt strangely warm. Changing the subject, Lupin said, "Well, you'll be happy when you hear who is coming tomorrow, well mostly happy, anyways. Hagrid, Minerva McGonagall, Nymphadora, Moody, the Weasley family, except for Percy, unfortunately. Also, Mundungus, Arabella Figg, Hermione..."  
  
Lupin stared into the ceiling, thinking intensely, "Ah, yes, the rest of the members of the Pheonix, including, Snape. Oh, and new guests, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood..."  
  
Harry was alarmed once again. Neville was certainly a surprise, but Harry was glad he was going to be here. He felt glad that he could share his feelings with Neville, and to think that even Neville could've had that scar upon his forehead. Why Luna Lovegood would be here, he had no idea. But then, it could be because Harry had almost been responsible for getting her killed last year at their trip to the Department of Mysteries...  
  
"...Sturgis Podmore, yes, he got out of Azkaban a few weeks ago, just in case you didn't hear. Ahh, and last but not least, Proffessor Dumbledore." Lupin glanced at Harry as if this was going to be cheerful.  
  
Harry snorted. "So? I'll be considered a house-elf if he even looks at me for a half a second." As soon as these words came out, he regretted them. This was not true. He knew why Dumbledore had avoided his eyes, but Harry was upset, or rather mad at him. Why couldn't he have told Harry everything sooner, than maybe Sirius would...  
  
Lupin replied in a stern voice, "Harry, you know why Proffessor Dumbledore was aboiding you last year, as well as this year. He was afraid that Voldemort would use you to get to him. Sirius had told me earlier this year that you had felt like attacking Dumbledore when he looked at you." His voice was firm, but more like the voice coming out of a father.  
  
Harry was annoyed. When he had told this bit of information to Sirius, he had said that it was an aftermath of his dream about Mr.Weasley. harry was annoyed that he was treathed like a mere child when he could be knowing much more."  
  
Lupin seemed to know what was going inside Harry's head. "Look, Harry, do not get upset with us. I know you have the right to, but we were just looking out for you. Proffessor Dumbledore had told us not to reveal too much to you. Obviously, Sirius wanted to tell you everything, but Molly and I refused-"  
  
"If you hadn't, Sirius would still be alive." Harry retorted. He glared at Lupin, right in his eyes. All of this ager he had kept bottled inside, was spilling out slowly.   
  
Unexpectedly, the front door opened, and small voices started to come in Number Twelve, Grimmuald Palace. The tension between Harry and Lupin had broken like a glass, and Lupin got up to see who it was. In a second, this wasn't need, since Fred had just Apparated about a half an inch away from Harry. Fred, who had a thin yellow stick in his hand, highered it into his ear. He tapped the stick twice, and a roaring sound of about a hundred elephants rag extremely defaning in his ear. Harry's ears shook madly, and he shrieked out of shock.  
  
"FRED, HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO BRING YOUR RIDICULOUS MERCHANDISE INTO-"  
  
Fred took a few steps back, almost looking intimidated, said, "Sorry Mum, just a way of showing Harry the success of Weasleys Wizard Wheezes! They're called Ultimate Ear Shockers, theyre only-"   
  
The elephant roaring had stopped, but the roaring of a befuddled Mrs.Weasly had entered his ears.  
  
"I DON'T CARE! HOW DO YOU KNOW IF THOSE THINGS ARE SAFE?" Mrs.Weasley was fuming.  
  
The other Weasley twin appeared next to Fred, a purple stick in his tight hand.  
  
"George, don't even think about going near Harry with that THING." Mrs,Weasley pointed at the little stick.   
  
"Of-course, Mum." George said, smirking, and eyeing Harry with mischief.  
  
In a moment, a cheerful Ron walked in. His flaming red hair had gotten longer, making his face look a little more mature. He reminded Harry of Charlie.  
  
"Hey Harry!" Ron said, grinning a bit. "How have you been?" Harry knew what he meant by that question.  
  
"I'm fine, but how did your hair grow that much in four days?" Harry asked, amazed.  
  
Ron laughed lightly, sitting down on a chair next to Harry, and grabbing some toast. "No, George bewitched my hair yesterday, and it grew a bit. I got really annoyed, but I kept it. It doesn't look bad."  
  
Harry half expected for a voice of disapproval to ring out, but Mrs. Weasley didn't say anything as she got some dishes from one of the wooden cabinets.  
  
Ginny and Charlie walked in, sitting down around the dinner table.  
  
"Hello, Harry." Ginny greeted him.  
  
"Hi." Was all that came out.  
  
"Hey Harry." Charlie said in the same friendly tone. "It seems that these days, you are"the boy who lived", and not some crazy scarface parserlmouth who faints and goes beserk everwhere." Charlie chuckled. 


	4. Reverie and Reality

Chapter 4 - REVERIE AND REALITY  
  
The immense sun was sizzling against the pine-fresh windows of Grimmuald Palace. The fancy pink-laced curtains were going back and forth from the calm, but moving wind coming from outside. With it, entered a damp, but flower tonic smell into Harry's nose.  
  
It was mid-afternoon, and he and Ron were playing wizard chess. He remembered back in his first year, when he had first witnessed the small figures moving forward and crashing the other pieces, making it appear as a battle.  
  
Harry had told Ron about what Lupin had popped out earlier. Ron had reacted almost the same way that he, unfortunately, had.  
  
"Guardian?? Well...that's out of the blue all right..." Ron had said, quite startled. "I've always liked Lupin, so there's no problem, right?" He had glanced at Harry curiously, pondering what was going inside his friend's head.   
  
"Yeah, I guess." Harry replied, going into a deep trance. Lupin had always been a role model for Harry, ever since he had seen him on the Hogwarts Express before the start of his third year. But, if he had allowed Sirius to tell him everything, things wouldn't be as worse as they were. Harry wouldn't have been an idiot and storm off to the Department of Mysteries if he had been told why he had to practice Occlumency...  
  
"Hermione should be here soon, Harry. She's taking the Knight Bus again, though I don't know why. I think we had a better time flying dad's old car in the sky..."  
  
...He felt like kicking himself for not listening to half the things Hermione had advised him to do or not to do. Harry realized that he and Ron continually took Hermione for granted, copying off of her homework, annoying her all of the time, Ron more than me, he thought. Because of him, she had almost died a few weeks ago and Ron had gotten befuddled...  
  
"...And she says that she's bringing something with her, a game, she told me in her letter. I wonder what it is. She said it'd cheer us up..."  
  
...He would've killed Bellatrix Lestrange if he had gotten the chance to, the rage was bubbling up in him again, and, suddenly, his scar twitched slightly. Harry didn't even bother to react. This had been happening so often that it had become as normal as eating and sleeping. He had been getting dreams of the night that his parents had died, the same strand of shocking green light that he had visualized for years-  
  
"Harry, Harry..." Ron was budging him.   
  
"Huh?" Harry mumbled.  
  
He pointed behind Harry. Harry instantly turned his head to find Hermione, Luna, and Neville standing about a few feet away from him. Luna was gazing outside the window, with deep interest. On her head was a green, scrawny looking hat that was the shape of small Green Welch Dragon. To match her ridiculous hat were deep green robes that went well past her feet. Next to her was Neville, goggling all around the room, obviously fascinated of the house. He looked nervous for some reason, and then turned his eyes to Harry.   
  
"Hey, Harry." He said, in half a smile, and half remorse.  
  
"Err...hi." Harry replied.   
  
"Harry, are you all right?" Asked a voice, coming from the left side of Neville. It was Hermione, or, at least, he thought it was. On top of her worried face, was perfectly combed straight hair, its brown and blonde strands waving back and forth. Green eye shadow and light-rose colored lipstick was on her glimmering face. She was wearing Muggle clothes, a dull-red looking tank top with a short black skirt. Harry thought she looked stunningly pretty.   
  
When Harry noticed that everyone was staring at him while he was staring at Hermione, he said, "I'm fine, but who are you?" Everyone laughed, including himself.   
  
"Don't be silly. My cousin stayed with us for a couple of days, and she got me into this." She waved her hands down to her slim body.  
  
"Well, you look beautiful." He murmured with delight. A small frown had appeared on Ron's face, and the others were trying not to giggle. Hermione's face had turned bright red.  
  
"Hermione, was this the surprise you were going to bring?" Ron asked gleefully. Again, everyone snickered.   
  
"Oh, shut up Ron. We put it in an empty room upstairs." She replied.  
  
One of Luna's eyebrows rose, "An empty room? How big is this house anyway?" Harry noticed something different about her, but he couldn't put his finger on it.  
  
Ron said, "Pretty big. It belonged to Sir-the Black family, but it's the headquarters of the Order of The Phoenix now."  
  
They all sat down on the tan-leather sofa, and Ron and Harry stopped playing chess.  
  
"I couldn't believe that I got invited here." Neville stated. "Gran told me yesterday that I had to go on the Knight Bus and ride to this place."  
  
After a few minutes of chitchat about the thing that Hermione brought (she had said that they should open it after dinner), and Quidditch, Harry knew that he couldn't keep the huge secret inside himself anymore.   
  
"Guys, I have to tell you something..." He started to tell them everything that Dumbledore had informed him in his office right after their little trip. He hesitated when he started to talk about the details of the prophecy, and Neville looked as horrified as if he had just been petrified.  
  
"You mean...it could have been me? But...but...how is that possible? I'm just a stupid nut!" Neville muttered, absolutely shocked at the possibility that he could have been the one that the prophecy had stated. Harry looked at Luna, wondered at how she was taking this. Her eyes were fixed on Harry, sinking in every word he was saying.   
  
"Harry, why didn't you tell this to us earlier?" Ron asked, absolutely mortified.  
  
Before he had the chance to answer, Hermione said, "Ron, you are so dim sometimes. He was terrified at the thought of it. Imagine if you knew that you were the only one in the world who could overcome V-Voldemort." Everyone flinched, no one more than Neville though, whose hands seemed to have locked together.   
  
Hermione continued, "Of course, when Voldemort heard the first part of the prophecy, he set right out to kill him, no matter what might happen. But why did he choose you, Harry? Why not Neville?" Her head looked up high in the ceiling, in deep thought.  
  
"I do." Came a short reply from Luna. Harry knew that it wasn't a thing that Luna was planning to say, and that it had just slipped out. This was the first thing she had said after entering the room. Everybody's heads pivoted to her, startled.   
  
"I'm...adopted." She slowly said. For the first time, Harry was seeing Luna in a sort of frightened and scared way. Usually, she would act unique and weird, but now...   
  
"Yeah...so?" Ron said, amusingly. Hermione gave him a dirty look, and said, "Ok, you're adopted. How do you know that Voldemort chose Harry, not Neville?"   
  
Luna stared at Harry with her gray eyes, and after a moment, "I...I'm adopted. Harry scowled, as well as Ron. There is something seriously wrong with this girl, Harry thought.   
  
Hermione softly put her hand on Luna's, and said, "It's ok, Luna. We won't tell anyone." Hermione fixed her eyes on her, showing deepest sympathy.   
  
A small voice came out of Luna, "My mother was a Death Eater, and...and...then she...mar...married, and...and...turned good...right...and she...she..."  
  
A soft droplet of tears trickled down her gaunt face. "My mother was your mother." She finished, still staring vividly at Harry. Perturbed, Harry stood straight up, not knowing that he had, and glared at Luna. "You're lying."  
  
More tears came out of Luna's eyes, which were trying to hold them back. Neville was looking all around, and trying to avoid looking at Harry. Hermione had moved closer to Luna and was trying to comfort her, which was useless. Luna was now sobbing really hard. Hermione's eyes widened, and never would have expected this.   
  
Ron got up and beckoned Harry to sit down, "Calm down, Harry. Sit."  
  
"No, not until she says it's a lie. My mother was NOT A DEATH EATER!" He bellowed, completely ignoring the second thing that Luna had told them. The next second, his scar hurt, more than it had in days, and, for a second, he felt like taking his wand out of his pocket and pointing it straight at Luna. But, he realized that he didn't have his wand. It was still in his bag.  
  
Hermione calmly said, "Sit down, Harry, and let Luna explain." Harry took a deep breath, and sat down back on his chair. What was Luna talking about? He thought.   
  
Luna looked up, her face full of tears, and uttered, "I have to go to the bathroom."  
  
Harry got up, too, but to go upstairs. "Harry!" Hermione scowled, but Harry avoided her. He paced himself upstairs, having to go through the kitchen, where Mrs.Weasley and Lupin were talking. Both of them stopped talking and looked at Harry. Harry had to stop walking, more like running, or he would end up having to answer loads of questions. He tried not to appear so furious, and grabbed a Chocolate Frog lying on the table for an excuse.  
  
"Harry, what's wrong? Was that you yelling?" Lupin asked, with full concern. He was examining Harry, as Mrs.Weasley said, "You all right, Harry, dear?"  
  
Harry gulped, "Yeah...I'm fine. Just tired. I'm going to go to sleep upstairs."  
  
Mrs.Weasley glimpsed at him, "Okay. Just- " Before she got a chance to finish that sentence, Harry had marched up the stairs. He passed the same small heads of the house elves he had at Christmas, and went into his bedroom. He had meant to do what he had said to Mrs.Weasley and Lupin.  
  
For a moment there, he had denied what Luna had said. But, in the pit of his stomach, he knew it was true. Why was would Luna be crying? How could his mother have been a Death Eater? It was impossible, Harry thought. Another absurd thing was that his mother had had another child...  
  
Harry's eyes got heavy, and before he knew it, they had closed.  
  
Suddenly, a rumbling noise got Harry's attention as he opened his eyes. He stood up, walking around the room, inspecting it.   
  
The noise had been inside the walls. Harry knew it.   
  
After finding nothing, he went back to lie on the bed. As soon as he did this, something popped out of the wall, and a purple shot of light hit his forehead, and he fainted.   
  
Harry's emerald green eyes opened. He was sitting down on the bare wooden floor. In front of him was a huge granite fireplace, alive with its red-orange flames. On top of it was a portrait of Kreacher, the house-elf, smirking and glaring despicably at Harry. Where am I? He thought. The room, or whatever this place was, was dark and gloomy, with only one torch flaming next to the portrait of Kreacher. The walls were made of brick, and uneven cement was sticking out of all the places. The room smelled like coal and rotten socks, making Harry's nose twitch. But what was twitching more than his nose was his scar. It was on fire, literally.  
  
Harry stared around his surroundings, murmuring, "What the...?"  
  
Then, in all of a sudden, something cool touched his back that made Harry recoil. Looking at it, he realized it was a wand, but hard to realize since it was so dark. Furthermore, Harry's eyes rose up. Right in front of him, was the hollow face of Bellatrix Lestrange gawking at him. 


	5. Back

Chapter 5 - BACK  
  
Harry's heart thudded heavily, as if someone had just hit him right in the chest. His heavy eyes were seeing black swirls in the misty air, not being able to focus in front of him. But when his eyes did clear, his scar burst with pain as her gray eyes glared maliciously into Harry's. He clutched his scar protectively trying to stop the never-ending pain.   
  
In the pale light, Bellatrix flashed a wicked smile. She had small glints in her eyes showing signs of wanting to destroy. He could also see a line of wrinkles on the once-clear face, and her black hair was dirty and shriveled up.  
  
The memories of Sirius's death triggered Harry's scar to hurt even more, that he stumbled up and thrust his hand in his pockets. Oh no, Harry thought. He didn't have his wand.  
  
"Well, Well." Said Bellatrix dangerously. "You are at my turf, Potter. No friends, no stunts, and NO WAND!" She laughed madly, and the room echoed her laughs. Harry was shaking everywhere from head to toe, knowing it was all over. How did he get here? And Bellatrix was right; he was quite vulnerable.  
  
Out of nowhere, a cold voice shrieked, "Crucio!"  
  
Harry screamed in pain and agony. He yelped once more, the room, again, going extremely dizzy, and then the pain stopped. He was gasping for some air, and once again, Bellatrix was cackling.  
  
His scar had calmed down and it was only twitching now. He was going to die, Harry knew it. Hoping for some exit, he looked left and right. Nothing.  
  
"Now, let's get down to business. What does that prophecy say?" Bellatrix took a few steps around Harry, who was barely standing up. His arms and legs were throbbing, and felt like he had just been hurled high into the sky over and over again.  
  
A sudden noise made Harry jump. He looked around to find a small brown rat scattering towards them. Before Harry got a chance to really examine it, Bellatrix bellowed in his left ear, "Answer me! Imperio!"  
  
Bright light hit him again, and Harry got a sensational feeling of emptiness and free will, feeling like he was on top of white clouds.  
  
Tell me about the prophecy, a fragile voice popped into his head.  
  
NO, I WILL NOT...  
  
Tell me now...  
  
NO...  
  
As Harry was trying very hardly to fight the curse, he did not realize what she was occurring. The rat that had entered the room was now twitching and running around uncomfortably. In a snap, it transformed slowly into a man. It was Wormtail, his fingers were trembling nervously, gaping at Harry.  
  
"Uh...Bellatrix?" He asked, in the most formal manner he could.  
  
Bellatrix, who had been fixed on Harry, turned towards Wormtail for a second, squinted her eyes curiously. The next second, her attention was on Harry once again.  
  
"What are you doing here, Wormtail?" She spat out, her wand still pointing at Harry.   
  
Wormtail hesitated, "Uh, the Dark Lord commands that you bring him," his eyes went to Harry, "to him."  
  
In an instant, Bellatrix's face dropped into a slump, not getting the opportunity to torture Harry more.   
  
Giving a nasty look at Wormtail, she lowered her wand and said, "Potter, tell me what the prophecy is or-"  
  
"NEVER!" Harry yelped.  
  
"-I'll have to take you to the Dark Lord!"  
  
But before Harry got taken to the Dark Lord, his eyes shut involuntarily. He felt like a rubber band being stretched out at all sides.. Then, a vibrant portal of shimmering while light zoomed past him. It was like traveling by a Portkey, but much faster.   
  
His head vibrated so fast that he felt like vomiting.  
  
And, out of the blue, he was back. The brilliant sunshine was in Harry's eyes again. In front of him was the old chessboard he had playing with minutes ago, which seemed like an eternity away.  
  
"Harry!" A worried voice entered him. To his left was Ron. His face was filled with empathy, and wondered why his friend had dozed off in the middle of the day.  
  
This legs and arms didn't hurt as before, but his scar was searing with pain. He touched it with his left hand, hoping it would calm down.   
  
Harry scratched his head, "Uh...I'm confused. What was going on? A minute ago, he had been in that morbid place, accompanied by Bellatrix Lestrange, and now...  
  
The events came clearer now. Bellatrix had just been trying to torture him and find out what the prophecy was about. There was also something else, but Harry couldn't put his finger on it...  
  
It hadn't felt like a dream, or a vision, and it definitely wasn't possession. Harry shuddered, evil coldness rising in him, remembering when he had been possessed earlier that year. He had felt pain beyond death, even though death hadn't been an experience Harry had faced...  
  
"What did you see, Harry? Was it V-Voldemort? What was he doing? Was he threatening you?" A familiar voice asked him. It was Hermione, or was it? Her usual curly and fuzzy dark brown hair was now straight and flawless, barely touching her smooth shoulders. Little blond streaks were highlighted in the front, making her face look illuminating. She was wearing a silky, satin red tank top with a black miniskirt. Her face, however, looked concerned, staring at Harry intensely. A touch of pale red was on her lips and light brown eye shadow on her lively eyes.  
  
Wait, Harry thought. I remember this. Then, expecting for Neville and Luna to also be there, he checked. Yes, they were there, both gazing at Harry.   
  
"Harry?" Said Hermione, again. She glimpsed a quick look towards Ron, both obviously worried.   
  
...When he'd gone upstairs, a purple light had struck him, he reminisced. Harry's eyes widened with shock. When he had been in that room, a shabby portrait of the house-elf Kreacher had been hanging freely on the wall. Did that mean that he had still been in the house-?  
  
"Harry, are you all right?"  
  
"What's wrong, Harry, dear?"  
  
Both voices said at once. It was Lupin and Mrs.Weasley, who had just walked in the room. Ron was standing up, and, with no doubt, he had went and fetched the two.  
  
"She's here! In this house@ I know she is! We have to go and find her! We-"  
  
Lupin had cut him short, "Who's here? What happened? Did you have a vision?"  
  
Mrs. Weasley looked around at the others, "Wait, Remus. Everyone, upstairs!" She commanded. Ron and Hermione's faces transformed from worry to fury and Ron screeched, "But what's the point, Mum!" Only Neville and Luna didn't seem to mind, when Luna said, "Sure, Mrs.Weasley. Come on, let's go." She beckoned Neville and both of them vanished.  
  
"Molly, just let them stay." Said Lupin, an edgy side to his voice.  
  
Harry's heart was beating as fast as a racecar. If he had had his wand, he would've blasted Bellatrix into a million pieces. His scar seemed to be settling down.  
  
"Tell us what happened, Harry."  
  
So he started to tell them from the point where Harry had opened his eyes slowly to find a dark room around him. But this had not been where his dream had started, he was sure of it. When Ron had nudged Harry to look up, that's when he had fallen out of his deep, peculiar, reverie, or rather, into it. But mentioning what Luna had said during this was just too perplexed to say out loud. Was it true? Had his mother really been Luna's mother? Had she been a Death eater? Was Luna his half-sister? Were these theories false, just a part of the dream?  
  
"But how did you get upstairs? I thought you were down here playing chess with Ron?" Said Lupin, suspiciously.  
  
Ron frowned, and Hermione looked hurt. "You never told us that you knew what was in that prophecy, Harry. We assumed it was destroyed."  
  
"Sorry." Harry mumbled.  
  
"It's all right, mate. But what was in that prophecy, anyway?"  
  
Mrs.Weasley and Lupin exchanged nerving looks.  
  
"You can tell them later," said Mrs.Weasley, "What happened after you told them about-it?"  
  
Hesitantly, Harry came to the unexpected outburst of Luna Lovegood.  
  
"What!!" Ron spat out.  
  
"That's just impossible-" Hermione started to speak.  
  
"Harry, your mother was never a Death-"  
  
""How could she be Luna's mother! Absurd!"   
  
His head lightened a bit, glad that this might not be true. If it were, wouldn't someone have told him about it?  
  
Mrs.Weasley spoke again, "Outrageous! The Lovegoods are a prominent family, and Luna Lovegood is not adopted. I assure you, I can give you solid proof if you're worried, and her mother died when dear Luna was just eight years old and-"  
  
"I'm afraid someone tricked you Harry." Said Lupin.  
  
He glanced at Lupin.  
  
"But why? How is telling me all of these lies about my mum going to do?"  
  
"Well, hearing it would probably get you isolated, so you were alone where they could follow their plan. I have to inform Dumbledore at once." He stood up from the sofa.  
  
"Molly, make sure he's not alone, even for a second, until I get back."  
  
"Do you know...?" Harry started to ask, but stopped. He wasn't going to get answers now, telling from the not-now look spread all over Lupin's face.   
  
"I will be back soon, Molly." In a flash, he vanished into thin air.  
  
There were upstairs now, in a humongous room where Hermione, Ginny, and Luna were to stay. While Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been downstairs, Luna had obviously started to decorate her side of the room. There were tiny sparkling models of trees, leaves, and the snitch flying around her side of the room. There were three twin-sized beds on a far corner decorated with blue sheets and fluffy sky-blue pillows. It made the room look heavenly with the periwinkle walls and white ceiling.   
  
The other side of the spacious room was filled up with a gigantic cardboard box about the size of a regular sized table. It was Hermione's surprise, and she wouldn't let Ron touch it until after dinner, she said. Ron looked so eager to rip apart the box that he kept on going near it every few minutes.   
  
While he, Ron, Hermione, Luna, and Neville had been talking about Harry's so-called dream and Luna's bizarre decoration, he had been debating inside his head. Should he tell them about the prophecy?  
  
A half-an-hour had passed, and Ginny, Fred, and George had come into the room. George-or Fred- was wearing an extremely fuzzy scarf spreading down to his knees. It was bright yellow, making him look like a sunflower.  
  
Hermione and Ginny rolled their eyes to the max, imagining when they would stop with the silly things.  
  
"Hello everyone." Said Fred, rummaging wildly through his robes.  
  
George, who was the bearer of the scarf Disapparated, and Apparated right behind Luna. An evil smile spread across his face, smirking at Harry, and took out one of their little Ultimate Ear Shockers. No one had noticed yet except for himself and Fred. Harry already knew the outcome and anticipated Luna's reaction. He could us a laugh.  
  
Hermione noticed just after the Shocker was nearing Luna's left ear. Irritated, she grunted, "GEORGE! What-"  
  
Her warning was just too late, because Luna jumped in surprise, screamed at the top of her lungs, her wide eyes joining together to form one almost-solid line. Her hands clapped her ears, right as George had backed away mischievously. Harry didn't hear a sound of an elephant or any other sort, but no doubt, Luna had.   
  
Ron was laughing, amused at the thought of Luna being tortured. Ginny was snickering. Neville was lightly chuckling, but he seemed nervous as to think he was going to be the next victim.  
  
However, Hermione looked infuriated. She slapped George on the shoulder, and stopped cackling like a hyena.   
  
"Hey!" An offended George said.  
  
"Well, at least she can't 'ban' us, now can she?" Fred spoke, "Too bad we're not back in Hogwarts, eh?"  
  
To Harry's surprise, Hermione smiled.  
  
George had sat back on the bed where Neville was sitting.  
  
The sweet smile had disappeared. "Don't even think it! I'll tell your Mum!"  
  
"Aw, come Hermione, we were just trying to make Loony Lovegood fell welcome with our Ultimate Ear Shockers! Now, Neville might need the-"  
  
"Why are you wearing that horrid scarf?" Luna interrupted, eyeing George interestingly.   
  
George appeared so delighted that he grinned, showing his uneven teeth.   
  
"Well, me n' George invented it, and I must say that it's brilliant."  
  
"Don't you mean you sew it?" Asked Neville.  
  
"No, my spiffy friend, it's a Lie Detector, and I must say it is spectacular!" Fred had stopped going through his robes and had summoned his own fuzzy Lie Detector.  
  
Harry frowned, "A Lie Detector? But that has nothing to do with your joke shop, does it?"  
  
Fred's Detector was a shocking orange one, and he now had it on. "No, actually, Harry, you were the one who gave me the idea.   
  
We got it from Olcummency, or whatever, Snape was teaching you. It works really well. We tested it on Ginny and asked her if she still liked you, and the Detector went haywire!"   
  
Everyone burst with laughter, but Ginny got red in the cheeks instantaneously. Harry didn't really care anymore, but he had to admit, it did make him a bit awkward. Harry didn't notice it, but Hermione had given Ginny a furious look.   
  
"DINNER'S READY!! COME DOWN!" A voice yelled from downstairs, and they walked down one by one. 


	6. The Memorial of Sirius Black

Chapter 6 - THE MEMORIAL OF SIRIUS BLACK  
  
Harry gazed intensely at himself in the medium-sized mirror, feeling and looking a bit awkward. When he had woken up early in the morning, there had been a long black formal cloak lying on the corner of his bed. He noticed that the cloak went past his feet, being as smooth as silk and quite different from the dress robes that he owned.   
  
Either it was Harry or he resembled a thin black twig. Nothing much had been entering his mouth for the past month or so, causing him to shed off a few pounds.   
  
Harry had to admit that he was nervous. Never before had he seen or been to a memorial, and about everyone in the Order was going to be present, including Dumbledore...  
  
...Hermione's surprise had sure been a surprise, Harry thought as he fixed the cloak around him. After dinner had been eaten the other night, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Neville, Fred, and George had gone up to the girls room again, awaiting to see what Hermione had brought.   
  
When the box had torn open, Harry had seen a colossal red-colored table, (almost relative to a pool table), bewitched to look like a quidditch field. The standing poles that were underneath it were at least five feet high, bringing the table almost up to Harry's chin. A black frame surrounded it, and on it were the almost-realistic hoops that a quaffle would go through, a green-colored field, and other details that were accurate to the real quidditch field.   
  
Everyone had been astonished, because they'd never seen anything like it. When everyone had been goggling at it, Hermione had handed each of them a pair of remote controls. Harry recognized them to Muggle controls for video games.   
  
It was like playing quidditch on the computer and almost the next best thing to real quidditch, but it would be odd if one day Muggles saw broomsticks and balls flying in the air....  
  
Small models of human quidditch players would circle around the field, shooting the Quaffle, sending off the Bludgers, and searching for the Snitch. Harry had gotten the chance to play every position except for Keeper that Ron had indignantly hogged.  
  
Everyone had questioned Hermione on the whereabouts of this spectacular game, and she said that she had purchased it at Rimlock Alley, a new - built place near Diagon Alley that featured a bunch of new things like the Mini Quidditch games, other educational games that Hermione had mentioned, but had slipped out of Harry's mind.   
  
At dinner the previous night, he had been wondering where Kreacher was and he had questioned Lupin about this. Lupin said that Mrs.Weasley had let Kreacher go free, and presumably, he had gone to the Malfoy mansion.   
  
Harry felt a surge of hatred towards the accursed house-elf Kreacher, and also towards the whole house as well.   
  
Harry was now walking downstairs as his stomach gave an unexpected lurch. He still found the upcoming visit of Aunt Petunia ridiculous, because never in Harry's life had his aunt wanted to hear a breath about magic, or the magical world, or Hogwarts. But now...  
  
"Nice cloak, Harry." Said Fred cheeringly as Harry entered the living room. George and Luna were in there too, where George was identically dressed to Fred, but Luna had a chestnut-brown dress cloak on, with matching brown hoops that were down past her neck.  
  
"Er-Thanks." He replied to Fred.   
  
It was almost noon, and it was another scorching-summer day with the fierce sun burning in the sky and a hint of wind in the coarse air. Harry looked at Fred, who was wearing almost a same cloak as Harry, but a worn out one that had a few misfits around the bottom hem.   
  
Something was behind him that caught his attention. It was a round ivory-made table situated near a normal-sized desk with Daily-Prophet articles resting on it. The table had three candles placed on it, and one was tall and red, and two small white ones on each side of the red one. Around these candles were three flower bouquets, two of them were roses, and the other was lilac. Next to these was a very small golden book resting on the table that was titled "To Your Memory."  
  
Across from Harry came in Hermione dissolved in a thick leather-bound book, not even paying attention to where she was going. His eyes fixed on her because he had to admit that she looked stunning. Like almost everyone else, she was in a black cloak, but her faced glowed like a vibrant light bulb. She had makeup on again, but her hair that had been waving down was now up in a tight bun, with two strands of hair lying down next to her face.  
  
Harry's attention at Hermione went scratchy when Ginny walked in smirking an evil smile at Harry. Girls...  
  
"I expect Mum got it for you." Muttered Ron as he too entered the living room. He was wearing the same thing as Fred, but his face was not so cheerful. His big ears were bright pink, along with his cheeks.   
  
"What's wro-"?  
  
"Nothing." Said Ron before Harry even got the chance to interrogate him. He stumbled across the room and accidentally bumped into a chair that was settled in the middle. Fred, George, and Ginny chuckled but Luna just stared at Ron dreamily. Hermione's mind was still on her book, sitting down on the floor and reading it intensely.   
  
Harry didn't say anything to Ron, figuring he Ron would not tell him anything in front of them.  
  
Nobody arrived for another fifteen minutes when Tonks arrived with her husband Ted. He was a tall clank man with white-blond hair and blue eyes. Harry noticed that he had a sort of not-belonging-here look as he stepped in Number Twelve Grimmuald Palace. Tonks appeared normal, dressed in black, except for her funky hair that was now a drab black color lying down a little past her ears. She had a bouquet of pink and yellow roses in her hands that she placed on the round table in the living room.   
  
More people came, Mad-Eye Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Deladus Diggle, Hestia Jones, Mundungus, Sturgis Podmore, Elphias Doge, and Emmeline Vance. A few moments later, Luna's parents arrived, along with Neville's grandmother, and Hagrid.  
  
Hagrid was presented much well than before, but the scars and bruises, from no other than Grawp, were still on his face. He had a smile on his face as he greeted Harry and the others.  
  
"Hello Harry. Yeh alright?" Said Hagrid.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Harry glanced to know who was behind Hagrid, talking to Mad-Eye Moody. It was a calm Dumbledore with his usual moon-shaped glasses and very-crooked nose. He was wearing a black cloak too, but had little dots on the hem. Harry thought that he looked a bit wearier, as if all the happiness had sucked out of him.  
  
But, apparently, it hadn't because Dumbledore tilted his head towards Harry and gave a half-hearted smile. His eyes were shining beyond his glasses that made Harry's scar jolt with pain.   
  
Harry didn't even bother to calm it down or touch his forehead, because he knew that whenever he would be around Dumbledore, he'd feel psychotic. He forced a smile back, ignoring his hurting scar.  
  
Everyone was now in the living room. Some people had summoned chairs around the round table (now it was in the center of the room), and other people were standing and chatting to each other. The candles on the table were now lit, shining in the room.   
  
Earlier, Ginny had told him that Lupin was going to say, or rather do the ceremony. And after all, he was the last of the Marauders, Harry thought.  
  
After a couple of minutes, Lupin was in front of everyone, picked up the book and was ready to start, when a door opened. A few moments later, Mrs.Weasley came in with another woman, no other than Harry's Aunt Petunia.  
  
  
  
Harry had never before seen Aunt Petunia look so horrified, even when she had heard last year that Voldemort had returned. Her bony face was contorted in wrinkles and her cheeks were bright red. She was wearing a light-green cocktail dress, totally standing out in the swarm of black. She glanced at Harry for about a second at then stared around the room.  
  
Lupin, who had been waiting, now smiled at Aunt Petunia and started to read from the book.  
  
  
  
Harry thought it was like a normal Muggle funeral, except for the dead body and the fact that it would be in a church. Lupin had read the whole book before the candles had burned out, but no one had cried. It just wasn't that emotional, even to Harry because he had had the time for that for a month.   
  
"Harry, could you come in the kitchen for a minute?" Asked Mrs.Weasley's sweet voice.   
  
  
  
Harry went in the kitchen with Mrs.Weasley, and saw that Lupin and Aunt Petunia were in there. His aunt was sitting down on the chair next to the dining table, looking appalled. Lupin was standing next to her, showing her a piece of parchment.   
  
They both turned around and noticed Harry.   
  
"Harry, come here." Said Lupin.  
  
Harry went to him and leaned down to catch the contents of the parchment.  
  
"Er-it's the form that we need to fill out if I am going to be able to be your guardian. You have to sign right here," Lupin pointed to the bottom left of the parchment, "but of course, if you don't want to then that's alright, and-"  
  
Harry interrupted him, "Lupin, shut it." He said casually, and then went down to sign the parchment. He didn't know if this was right, if it made a bruise to Sirius's memory or not, but it felt okay to Harry.   
  
Aunt Petunia made a weird noise and Harry knew she was certainly happy to get rid of Harry.   
  
He glared at her and then he said, "Do I still have to live there?"  
  
"No, from now on you are going to have to live here." Said Lupin, with a sad tone of voice.   
  
"Good. What about Professor Dumbledore? Does he approve...? " Said Harry, his voice trailing off.  
  
"Oh, yes. He knows that you were being watched at your aunt and uncle's house and he prefers you to stay here, around us so we can watch over you."   
  
Harry didn't even bother to check how Aunt Petunia reacted to a bunch of Death Eaters watching her house, because he didn't care.  
  
Again, Harry was standing in the living room talking to Ron and Hermione. They were eating sandwiches and gulping down butterbeer. Ron wasn't red anymore but he was giving Hermione uncanny stares. She had noticed, but didn't say anything.  
  
"...I can't believe your aunt showed up here. It sure is a miracle, eh? I thought she was gonna faint when she walked in. Maybe she's changed Harry!" Said Ron. Harry snorted.  
  
"Oh come on Ron. The only reason she's here is to sign that parchment and get rid of Harry once and for all." Hermione glanced at Harry and then she said, "Oh, I'm sorry Harry, that sounded insensitive."  
  
"It's all right. I don't really care." He replied with unconcern.   
  
"I wish Percy would do the same and get rid of himself once and for all." Spat out Ron.   
  
Amazed, Harry said, "What? He's back? Why isn't he here then?"  
  
It was now Ron's turn to snort, "He said that he had things to do, the stupid git...when Fudge found out about You-Know-Who, he dropped Percy down to his usual place in the Ministry, and then he came home apologizing. I would have cursed him if we weren't allowed to use magic, and Fred and George were about to when Mum threw herself at him and forgave him." A disgusted look was on Ron's face.  
  
Ever since last year, Harry hadn't liked Percy. He had said that Harry was dangerous and had attempted Ron to stay away from him, which Harry thought was quite annoying, coming from Percy. He didn't think that Mrs.Weasley had done right to forgive him, but she was a mother...  
  
"Oh give him a break. He was just convinced under the wrong people." Said Hermione.  
  
"Give him a break? You have to be kidding!" Screeched Ron.  
  
Harry knew what was coming, so he backed away to get more butterbeer. He passed Tonks immersed in a conversation with Hestia Jones, and then Moody and Lupin.   
  
"...Mind you, I was shocked when she showed up, didn't think she had it in her." Harry heard Moody growl.  
  
"I practically had to beg her to come, not really for the memorial but for the parchment-signing. Somehow she thought that something was going to happen to her if she did." Said Lupin. Harry slowed his pace to listen. He knew Aunt Petunia was scared because of the Howler she had received last summer.   
  
"So Potter doesn't mind, eh? Pretty laid-back boy, if you ask me. Seems to be happy though."   
  
"Yeah, Molly and I wanted to do something to cheer him up a bit so we held this memorial. But I have to admit that it was quite difficult to get everyone here, a lot of people were busy and didn't want to come, but for Harry's sake they did. And, I'm only a day or two from full moon so-"  
  
Harry didn't want to listen to the rest of the conversation. His heart was burning, the heat reaching up to his face slowly. His hands were shaking, along with the butterbeer in his left hand.  
  
He got to the kitchen and shoved the butterbeer down on the dining table and went upstairs to his room. The door slammed shut behind him as he sank low to the floor, next to his bed.  
  
So, the only reason everyone was here was because of him, not because of Sirius. Nobody cared about Sirius, nobody cared how important and the good man he was. Everyone just cared about the gaping scar on Harry's forehead and expected him to...  
  
A tear came down on his cheek. He hated all of them, even Lupin.   
  
"HARRY! Harry!" A female voice trailed upstairs, and Harry recognized that it was Hermione. She passed by, glanced in his room, and came in. Looking at Harry's tearstained face, with sympathy, she said, "What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
Hermione walked towards Harry and sat down next to him, very closely. She patted his shoulder with comfort. "It doesn't seem like nothing, Harry."  
  
"Just go away." Sneered Harry.   
  
Hermione seemed hurt, but she hid it. "Did someone say something to you? Or is it Sirius...?"   
  
More tears came down, and he felt that he should be ashamed, but he wasn't. Hermione took her hand and wiped the tears off his face.   
  
Harry felt a surge or gratitude, so he told Hermione what he had heard from Lupin and Mad-Eye Moody's mouth.   
  
"Harry, don't feel so bummed out." She said. "Memorials like this are very rare, I've read about them. They happen, maybe, once a century or so, so you should be honored that there was a memorial today. Everyone cares about Sirius of course, but like I said, memorials don't happen that often. They care about you too." Said Hermione.  
  
"Yeah, ok." Harry said sarcastically. He liked the fact that Hermione was trying to sooth him, but he felt she was lying...  
  
Before he knew it, his head was resting on Hermione's shoulders and his eyes closed shut. They opened again, and he realized he owed an explanation to Hermione about the prophecy, as well as Ron.  
  
"Hermione, about the prophecy..." He informed her about the chat he and Dumbledore had had at the night of Sirius's death. Hermione gasped a few times, especially when she learned about the prophecy.  
  
"Oh Harry, that's awful." She couldn't find any words for comfort, so she just laid her hand on his, and they both cried together, unnoticed... 


	7. Heaven Into Humility

Chapter 7 - Heaven into Humility  
  
"Harry?" Hermione breathed in Harry's right ear, feeling like a soft feather brushing against his skin.  
  
He opened his eyes and levitated his head up to find a tear-and-mascara stained face of Hermione gawking worriedly at him. Her hair, that had been tied up in a bun was a complete mess, with a few strands of it sticking out on all sides.  
  
Harry fixed his eyes around him, finding himself to still be in his room, next to Hermione. The entrance door to the room was closed, and Harry well remembered that it had been ajar when Hermione had marched in.   
  
Outside the window, dark clouds were covering the humid light-blue sky like the ceiling in front of your face. An hour or so had passed by as Harry read the clock on the small table near the bed on the opposite side of him. On it was a tiny silver chip placed next to the clock, shining in the sunlight. Harry didn't remember that being there either.  
  
"I think we fell asleep." Muttered Hermione, very nervously.  
  
"Yeah." Said Harry, still sitting where he had been before he had awoken.  
  
"Do you want to go downstairs of just stay up here?" Said Hermione. Harry found a wisp of terror and unnerve in her voice.  
  
"No. You go."  
  
"That's okay, I'll stay."   
  
"No, go, or they'll think that I'm-"  
  
"No, I'll stay and they won't come."  
  
"But how do you-"  
  
"Never mind." Hermione interrupted, "So, do you want to talk about it?"  
  
Harry was staring into Hermione's deep eyes that had hints of glimmer in them. She really cares, he thought. She's always cared, from the beginning, she's always-  
  
"Hello!" Hermione waved her hand in front of his face.  
  
]  
  
If he had listened to half of what Hermione had said for the last year, then maybe-  
  
"Okay, keep on looking at me," Her casual annoying voice was back, "But I can't believe Trewlaney made that prophecy to Dumbledore."  
  
Harry suddenly remembered when Hermione had stormed out of Professor Trewlaney's room in their third year, and pondered if Hermione had ever thought Trewlaney to be competent enough to make a prophecy about himself and Voldemort.  
  
"I told you in the third year when I took my exam. She went all weird on me like she was controlled and she told me about Wormtail joining Voldemort and Voldemort rising to full power again." Said Harry.'  
  
  
  
He felt sort of awkward to be close to Hermione, one of his arms and legs touching hers under their cloaks. He could tell that she felt the tension too.  
  
But Harry knew that he would burst into tears the moment he would be alone. He couldn't bear the world around him any longer. The people, the things, the theories, the prophecies, Hogwarts, Dumbledore, Voldemort, his scar, himself... The only thing he had was a friend.  
  
Hermione was observing him carefully, "Yeah, but we didn't know if that was true or not, not without Professor Dumbledore's approval of it."  
  
"Yeah, but I remember that at the end of that year he said that that prediction made Trewlaney's real predictions to a total number of two. If I'd known the prophecy, I wouldn't have barged into the Department of Mysteries weeks ago."  
  
Hermione nodded approvingly, "Yes, but you know, it's not your fault that Sirius died. Don't look at me like that. It was not a bit your fault that Sirius died, of course we went to save him, what else would have we done, even though I refused."  
  
"I need to listen to you more." Harry blurted out. Hermione laughed.  
  
"Yes, you certainly do, but I've been wondering this for a long time. What part does Dumbledore play in all this?"  
  
Harry frowned, "What do you mean?"   
  
She looked up at the ceiling, and with a dreamy voice, she replied, "What part does he play in this win-or-lose game between you and Voldemort? Why did Trewlaney make that prophecy to Professor Dumbledore? I know that he's the greatest wizard there ever was, but..."  
  
"I don't know, maybe he is just supposed to protect me from Voldemort as long as he can." Said Harry.  
  
"Maybe," Said Hermione, with doubt in her voice, "That room you told me about does sound interesting. Professor Dumbledore said it's the most mysterious room...you know what, I think we should continue our D.A. meetings at Hogwarts, they are really affective."  
  
"Yeah, but we're going to have another Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, aren't we? And lets hope he-or she- stays." Said Harry pleasantly.   
  
Hermione smiled weakly at him and gave a quick look towards the door.  
  
"Hermione, you can go downstairs if you want to, I'm okay, I swear."  
  
She was taking several black rubber bands out of her hair when she said, "Oh no, it's quite alright. I don't mind, I'd rather stay up here with you..." She flinched when one of her rubber bands stretched out and snapped against her index finger. She tried to take it out, but it just kept hurting her fingers.  
  
"Liar." Stated Harry, still watching her.  
  
Hermione stopped wrestling against her and said, "Alright, alright, but I'd rather lie to you and stay her than go downstairs than go downstairs and leave you feeling miserable." She went back to her hair. To Harry, she didn't seem to be making any progress.  
  
"Here." Harry pulled out his hands to Hermione's hair. She had stayed up with him for an hour, the least he could do was sort out her hair...  
  
"This is all too terrible. Why does everyone and everything depend on you? It's just not fair." Stated Hermione flatly. She gasped when the rubber band snapped against her skull.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
  
  
"It's alright."  
  
He was still struggling with her hair as she said, "You, that's all everyone was trying to do downstairs. Don't be so angry with them, Harry. They're just looking out for you, like I am right now, and I always will, remember that."  
  
A snappy noise broke the emotional feeling in the room, and Harry and Hermione chuckled lightly. The frustrating rubber band had finally split into two pieces.  
  
"Thanks." Said Hermione.  
  
"No, I should be saying thanks Hermione, I...I..." Before Harry knew what he was doing, his face slowly closed in on hers, feeling like an eternity as their eyes met. His coarse lips touched Hermione's fluffy red lips, and a heart warming feeling jolted through Harry's body as if he had just been hit with the Cruciatus Curse. However, the effect was quite the opposite.  
  
Harry's right hand rested on Hermione's perfect swan-shaped neck as his other hand found one of Hermione's hands. Their hands grasped tightly together and Harry felt like he was in sweet heaven. The heat was building up inside him as his lips trailed down to Hermione's neck.  
  
Their lips locked again, now more intensely than ever. Harry's hand grasped Hermione's hair as their tongues made contact. Harry felt oozing saliva entering his mouth, now kissing Hermione more fiercely than ever.  
  
Harry did not know when he let go, and neither did Hermione, but both were gazing at each other with complete silence. Her eyes were glowing at Harry, young and alive. Harry thought that he had never seen anyone like her, so caring and kind and smart and-  
  
  
  
Both of their lips locked together again, thinking that his was just a huge dream. Harry knew it was...  
  
  
  
A rough pattern of knocks banged furiously in Harry's ear that blasted him awake. He was lying on Hermione's lap on the floor, and she was sleeping soundlessly, her had resting on the side of Harry's bed. The clock came in Harry's view, and a wave of panic entered his whole body. He and Hermione had been sleeping for two and a half hours. How could that happen????  
  
More bangs cam on the door and a frightening sound of Mrs.Weasley rang out, "Harry! Hermione!"   
  
"Oh, damn..." What had he gotten himself into? He thought. Had he taken sleeping pills that had made him fall asleep two times in a row?  
  
Harry nudged Hermione roughly on her shoulder.  
  
"Alohomora! Alohomora! ALOHOMORA! Locomotor Mortis! Sedenio!" Mrs.Weasley's and a few others' shriek entered Harry's ears. He was almost about to slap Hermione on the face when she arose slowly.   
  
"What-What's that screaming?" She gasped horribly.  
  
Harry pulled Hermione up. "It's Mrs.Weasley and someone else too. Hide!" He whispered frighteningly.  
  
"But-?" She started to ask, but Harry intercepted her, "Hermione, do you really want everyone to find out that you and I have been locked together in a room for hours? Hide!" He whispered desperately.  
  
For a second, Hermione appeared offended and confuse, and then her eyes widened.  
  
"Oh, right! But where?"  
  
"Go under the bed! Quick!"   
  
Hermione crouched down helplessly and crawled under the large bed. Harry stared at her dark-illuminated face for a moment.  
  
"I'll say that you're in the drawing room, so as soon as I leave the room, go to the bathroom, there's another door that will lead you to the drawing room, ok?"  
  
"This is wrong Harry." Hermione breathed.  
  
No kidding, Harry thought. He didn't know, but at the thought of everyone knowing Hermione and him had been making out seemed more terrible to him than facing Voldemort.  
  
He got up and paced towards the door quickly.  
  
"HARRY! HERM-"  
  
Mrs.Weasly's cries were interrupted with a swift opening of the door.   
  
Mrs.Weasley's terrified and astonished face was looking at Harry, and to his terror, was a huge crowd sharing Mrs.Weasley's expression. Tonks, Ted Tonks, Lupin, Sturgis, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mad-Eyes Moody, Hestia Jones, Mundungus Fletcher, Neville's Grandmother, Fred and George, Bill, Ron, Ginny, Neville, Luna, and her father were all gaping at him worriedly.  
  
"Harry dear, what happened? Why was the door locked?" Mrs.Weasley asked sympathetically.  
  
Thank god for Hermione's brilliance, he thought.  
  
"Was it Voldemort?" Lupin asked casually, almost in a sort of business-tone.  
  
As Harry expected, most of the people crowded around him recoiled uncomfortably.  
  
Harry attempted to put an innocent not-knowing-anything look on his face, "I-I fell asleep, but I don't know why the door was locked." He glanced at Ron, who avoided his gaze, and looked the opposite way, facing the hallway.  
  
"Did you see anything, Potter?" Barked Moody, and for the first time he had a slight sense of panic in his voice.  
  
Harry knew he didn't mean seeing with his eyes, but with his mind.  
  
"No."  
  
"Where's Hermione?" Asked Tonks suspiciously.  
  
"She was in her earlier, but then she said she was going to go to the drawing room to do some homework." Replied Harry.  
  
"But why was the-" Lupin started, but Mrs.Weasley took Harry by her hands and led her past the crowd, "Remus, honestly, have some sense." Said Mrs.Weasley as she passed Lupin and glared at everyone.  
  
"Sorry Molly, I just wanted to know why-"  
  
"Yes, yes. Well, what is everyone waiting for? You can go back to whatever it is you lot were doing." She said as she continued to eye everyone except for Lupin.  
  
Everyone there knew better than to refuse Mrs.Weasley's command, because in a flash, they all went in different directions. Harry could hear them mumbling but couldn't quite make their interesting words.  
  
Mrs.Weasley and Lupin did not seem satisfied at all when Harry informed them the same piece of information he had earlier. The mysteries of the locked door lead both of them to believe that they couldn't leave Harry alone for another second.  
  
  
  
His heart fell suddenly when he heard this. The last thing that was necessary was a stalker after him 24 hours a day.  
  
Harry had asked what had happened to his aunt, Hagrid, and Dumbledore. He found out that Aunt Petunia had left shortly after she had signed the parchment. Harry found it surprising, for some reason, that she had not said goodbye.   
  
Hagrid had left too, along with Dumbledore, saying they had business to attend to...  
  
His body was shaking.  
  
Hermione apparently had followed Harry's instructions, because she trampled in the living room casually after a few minutes.  
  
Harry, Neville, Luna, Ginny, and Ron had been sitting in the living room. Luna was immersed in a new edition of The Quibbler, not noticing the smirks Ginny was giving Harry, nor the furious glares from a red-faced Ron. Neville and Ron were playing chess, and Ginny was just resting on the sofa, gazing around and giving Harry looks once in a while. Harry was doing the same as her, but deep in his thoughts.  
  
His mind was on Hermione. She's a great kisser, he thought. It had been much better than kissing Cho, even though both kisses had sort of been-wet.  
  
What if Hermione couldn't pull it off? He certainly didn't want everyone to know that they'd been making out in a locked room for the longest time ever.  
  
Harry noticed Ron, wondering what was wrong with him. He wanted to talk to him, but not in front of everyone. The house was just way too crowded.  
  
"How come you went upstairs, Harry?" Said Neville.  
  
"I got sleepy." Said Harry, "I think someone might have put something in my drink, because I have no idea how I slept that much."   
  
Ginny surprisingly gasped and then laughed, "Um...I think someone did. George was putting something in a couple of the butter beers."   
  
Harry rolled his eyes uncontrollably.   
  
A few minutes later, Hermione trotted in, her appearance being similar to the one at the memorial earlier that afternoon. Her once-strangling hair was back to a tight bun, not a lock of hair out of place. She had obviously washed her face and had put on her usual makeup on, shining vibrantly again. There was a book in her hand, the same one from the morning, Harry noticed. She gave him a weird look and then sat down next to Ginny.  
  
"Where have you been?" Ginny asked suspiciously, with a bit of sarcasm in her voice. Either it was Harry going mad, or Ginny knew.  
  
Ron's head rose for a second and then drooped down again, pretending to be deeply concentrated in his chess game. Neville's eyes were fixed on Hermione. However, Luna didn't appear to catch anything that was around her.  
  
Hermione sat down on one of the chairs and said, very casually, "I was in the drawing room, doing some summer-homework. I hadn't even started, what if I fail-"   
  
  
  
"It's only July!" Said Ginny ridiculously and Ron snorted quietly. Neville laughed out loud.   
  
An annoying look appeared on Hermione's face, "Yes, but you know how I am! And Professor McGonagall's homework on Apparating is very essential, that's what she said if you remember-"  
  
"Ok, ok!" Ginny interrupted, an annoying look coming on her face too. "But, are you sure you weren't up to anything else?" She gave another obvious smirk towards Harry.  
  
How did Ginny know? It would be too weird if someone knew that he and Hermione-  
  
He felt weird. Hermione was his friend and she had been for the past five years, not letting him down ever. She had helped him to save the Sorcerer's Stone in their first year, then had made the Polyjuice Potion to find out the Heir of Slytherin in the second year. Along with that, she had figured the mystery of the basilisk, and then had been a major part of the pursuit of Sirius-  
  
Harry wished deeply that Sirius were here, everything would be so much better-  
  
And then she had stopped more ugly rumors from spreading in the Daily Prophet about him and Hagrid, and the never-ending list would go on.   
  
The bottom line was that she had always cared about him, and wanted to kick himself for taking her granted half of the time when he and Ron copied her homework.   
  
CRACK.  
  
Fred Apparated right in front of the living room archway. Full hints of glee were present on his face that flicked at Harry. He had changed his clothes into comfortable Muggle clothes, a blue T-Shirt and jeans.  
  
"Way to go Harry." Said Fred, as if he was giving Harry a reward. Harry's heart stopped, or he felt that it did.  
  
"What do-"  
  
  
  
"Aaah, Harry...let me explain my brilliance." Putting on a mask of seriousness and calmness, reminding Harry of Dumbledore.  
  
"This is another one of our inventions, that records everything at a certain time and replays it to a person's advantage. We actually got the idea from this kid from a Muggle family who had a little device of his own."   
  
To Harry's horror, Fred pulled out the familiar silver-chipped coin Harry had seen on the bedside table in his room out of his pocket.  
  
"Merio!" Cried Fred, alerting everyone in the room. Even the intense eyes of Luna drifted up to where Fred was standing. The little chip unfolded into a silver-squared screen about the size of a regular sized roll of parchment."  
  
"It's called a Playing Plex. Now, I was planning to use this to show Mum or Lupin, figuring I wouldn't get in trouble, but mind you, when I saw it, I knew nothing had gotten Harry except for his hormones."   
  
Hermione cast a desperate look to harry, which had no idea what to do.  
  
"Who wants to watch?" Declared Fred cheeringly. Most of the heads in the room came to nods.   
  
I'm going to curse him, thought Harry bitterly. Now what?   
  
"Give me that." Said Harry, eyeing the screen.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I want to know if anyone else was in the room." Lied Harry.  
  
"But I already saw it, Harry my dear." Mocked Fred.  
  
"I want to see it myself."   
  
"Alright, if you want to see it." Before Harry realized it, Fred touched a soft button on the button f the screen, and a pale figure of Harry came into focus on the screen. His head was facing the other way, and Harry knew that any minute, he was about to cry.   
  
But they don't have to know that, he thought.  
  
"See? I told you I was going to sleep! Now turn it off!" He voiced out, but Freed shook his head happily.  
  
"Let's forward it to the real excitement, shall we?"  
  
Again, he pushed another button and the Playing Plex forwarded, from first displaying and then Hermione walked in...  
  
"Stop it!" Cried Hermione, sounding and appearing utterly embarrassed, even though her cheeks weren't red. Harry looked at the screen, and one good thing was that they couldn't hear what he and Hermione were saying.  
  
She stood up to snatch the Plex, but a defaming crack dissolved in the air. Fred Disapparated on top of the tall bookcase, and it trembled slightly, but then came to a halt.  
  
Fred tried to get comfortable by sitting down on the bookcase with his legs dangling down on the bookcase with his legs dangling down like wiggling spider legs.  
  
  
  
Hermione made an attempt to reach him, but was just way too high. Her feet jumped up as high as they could, but they couldn't compare to the height of the bookcase.  
  
"Cut it out Fred." Said Neville strongly, but not being able to do anything. He wasn't allowed to use magic, and unfortunately, he was shorter than Hermione. He was sitting next to Ron, the only possible person of reaching Fred, but he was still acting like nothing was happening around him. Luna, who had her Quibbler down on her lap, was staring intensely at Hermione and Fred. Ginny was smiling, but when she took in Hermione's desperate figure, she said, "Ok, Fred, I reckon that's enough, get rid of that thing and come down before Mum has a cow."  
  
  
  
"Mum's not here." Fred said. A playful gleam was in Fred's eyes.  
  
The screen played again, and before Harry knew it, it was playing to the part where Harry was struggling with Hermione's hair.  
  
He had the urge to get his wand and destroy the screen, along with red, but he resisted it. He didn't' want to get expelled again, no matter how bad his fifth year had been.   
  
Now everyone was gazing at the Plex, even Ron. In it, Harry was reaching towards Hermione..  
  
Frustrated and absolutely humiliated, Hermione stomped out of the room, followed by Harry.   
  
Walking towards the kitchen they both stopped and threw looks at each other, and went different ways. Hermione lead to the family room and Harry marched up the stairs,  
  
He had to tell someone to stop it, but didn't know who...  
  
The room with Tonks, Neville's grandmother, and Hestia Jones passes his eyes, and then he found the right person. Bill was in an almost empty room with only a dark-brown wooden desk on the right side, sitting in front of it and writing hastily on a piece of parchment. Here were no windows, and nothing was hanging on the walls either.   
  
Harry had always found Bill to be cool, so he informed him that Fred was wreaking havoc in the living room. Bill immediately rose and started to mutter how immature the twins were and went downstairs.   
  
Sitting down on the chair, Harry glanced at the roll of parchment, and written on it was:   
  
STATIONED LOOKOUTS  
  
12:00 A.M. Tonks, Adam Fletcher  
  
4:00 A.M. Emmeline Vance, Bill Weasley  
  
7:00 A.M. Remus Lupin, Mr.Weasley  
  
Substitute: Alastor Moody  
  
10:00 P.M. Mrs.Weasley  
  
July 4 - July 26  
  
Sunda  
  
Oh great, Harry thought, completely immobilized. I'm going to be watched every single second for the rest of my damn life.  
  
He left the room to go downstairs to the kitchen where Neville was munching on oatmeal cookies.  
  
"Hey, Harry." He said casually.  
  
"Hi." Harry mumbled.  
  
"I saw a little bit of it and then I walked out of the room. I think Bill's in there trying to curse Fred."  
  
"Yeah." Said Harry, his face growing hotter and redder.  
  
"I think it was wrong of Fred to do that."  
  
"Thanks." He stumbled down on the kitchen chair and gave a ferocious bite on a green apple, trying to imagine how he was possible going to be able to spend his summer in Number Twelve Grimmauld Palace. 


	8. The Mystery of Hermione

Chapter 8 - The Mystery of Hermione  
  
Ahead was the old and heavily wrinkled face of Dumbledore, with a never-ending white beard standing out, with his blue eyes gleaming behind those usual moon shaped glasses. His crooked nose was sort-of pointing towards Harry, who was seated uncomfortably on a chair opposite of him.  
  
Whoa, Harry thought. I'm watching Dumbledore and myself? I must be dreaming...  
  
He stared intensely.  
  
An immense ill-lighted office that looked cramped because of all the objects in it surrounded Harry. Broken instruments were now shriveled up on the floor and portraits of headmasters and headmistresses were observing himself and Dumbledore with curiosity.   
  
Outside the window, a feeling of early morning was rising in the foggy air, and the cheery and exclamated voices of Hogwarts students were trailing up through the office's window.  
  
Harry could see sadness and regret in Dumbledore's expression, and he said, "There is a room in the Department of Mysteries, that is kept locked at all times. It contains a force that is at once more wonderful and more terrible than death, than human intelligence, than forces of nature. It is also, perhaps, the most mysterious of many subjects for study that reside there. It is the power held within that room that you possess in such quantities and which Voldemort has not at all..."  
  
Suddenly, Dumbledore's face and his office started to fade away into a thick swirl of black and blue. Harry knew he was dreaming, but he recognized Dumbledore's words from before. That was in the past, he thought, as the colors were contorting more fiercely.  
  
Harry's eyes were focusing again in front of him.   
  
A dingy graveyard was facing him. This was bizarre, but he could feel the stormy wind zooming past him like someone bumping straight into you.  
  
There were several shrimpy and vague figures in the daylight background, all dressed in black robes and hoods that covered their whole faces except the murderous-looking eyes.  
  
Again, Harry was seeing himself, making the most tremulous attempt to stand straight up and forward. Blood was gashing from his arm and his dirty mud-face was glaring at another person, straight in the eyes.  
  
  
  
There was Voldemort, restored to his full body, with those bloody-red catlike eyes glaring deadly at Harry. He bellowed, "Avada Kedavra!" And at the same time, Harry cried, "Expelliarmus!"  
  
A wisp of green light shot off of Voldemort's wand as Harry's wand gave out a red sparkled beam. As he assumed, a golden band of light formed, and connected both struggling wands as they levitated into the air.  
  
Harry was more of a watcher, and he felt like seeing a good-old movie on Muggle television. He saw something glowing around himself that made his body uneasy. It was patches of vivacious white light illuminating around his skinny figure. He resembled a bulb giving off rays of light.  
  
  
  
Harry had never recalled something like that around him, and he didn't have more time to examine, because once more, black-blue swirls were in his eyes.  
  
Soon, something came into view, but Harry had never experienced this scene. He was peering at a suppressed, square room with gloomy-looking walls and a blackish ceiling that appeared more as a closet with no windows and no door.  
  
It front of him were three things: the same pale illuminating glow he had seen in the previous flash, himself, and Neville.  
  
Harry seemed a bit different, because it looked like he had grown an inch or so, dressed in green robes, and he had a barely noticeable mustache. His emerald eyes were gaping at the ball of light, and one of his wands were surrounding it (the other hand was equipped with his wand.) His face was filled with fright but full of excitement as well.   
  
However, Neville had an expression of uttermost terror. He appeared a bit older too, but his timid and nervous-looking face was the same. Red robes were stuck to his sweaty skin and a wand was sticking out of his hand, shaking horribly. He was about a couple of feet away from Harry and the glow, thinking Harry to be mad and reckless to go near something that mysterious.  
  
"I-I don't think you should touch it, Harry." Neville stuttered, with trails of sweat slippering down his face.  
  
Harry glanced at him, "Why not? We need it. Dumbledore mentioned it when-"  
  
"Don't!" Neville interrupted, "Remember what happened when you touched the prophecy? We nearly got killed!"  
  
An irritated look popped up on Harry's face as he spat out, "Then why did you come with me if you didn't want to take it?"  
  
Why Neville did come with him Harry never found out, because he was staring at coils for the third time.  
  
When is this going to stop? He wondered.  
  
  
  
Harry was now observing a spacious pale yellow room filled with small toys on the wooden-polished floor. There were different portraits covering the walls all around. A recognizable picture of his mother and father was hanging next to the door, both of them grinning. To the left of it was a double portrait of Harry where he was a baby, and another one of a baby girl, having similar features to Harry. More photos of the baby girl were around the room, along with one more shot that made Harry gulp. It was himself and Hermione, smiling with sparkles in both of their eyes and admiring each other occasionally. Both looked about 16 or 17 years old to Harry.  
  
Figures of puffy and fuzzy teddy bears of every color were scattered on the floor, and a miniature train was zooming around the oval shaped track. To the far left of the room was a huge white crib, and inside it was the baby in the portraits. The cute face of the girl was smiling vividly, with curly black hair and green eyes that seemed big for her skinny shaped face. She was lying down on the yellow blankets of the crib with her matched cotton yellow dress.  
  
Unexpectedly, a door hurled open and entered a full-grown wizard, dressed in black robes that had ruffled hair walked towards the crib.   
  
He swerved his head towards the baby and squeezed her soft cheek with one of his hands.  
  
"Hey little Li-"  
  
The mystery of the baby's name stayed a mystery to Harry because someone was budging him by his arms.  
  
"Harry! Wake up!" Said a familiar voice. It was a fuzzy silhouette of Ron.  
  
After he put his glasses on, Harry arose form his bed. The scar on his forehead was twitching slightly, barely being able to feel it.  
  
"What's wrong? You were talking in your sleep, and I've been in here for minutes tryin' to wake you up."  
  
Harry approached the window and glowered out.  
  
"It was a dream, or at least I think it was." He replied, as he observed a medium sized slimy green car parked near the Number 13 house. He knew it was a Ministry automobile, because he had witnessed an exact one two years previously at Diagon Alley.  
  
"About what? Vol-You-Know-Who?" Said Ron's worried voice. Harry sniggered. His friend had fought the murdering Death Eaters, an inch of danger away from Voldemort, but couldn't say his name.  
  
"Oh, alright, Vol-Vol-Voldemort," he shivered with unease, "So, was it him?"  
  
"Not really, it was-"  
  
"RON!" Mrs.Weasley's rough voice howled throughout the upstairs hallway. Abruptly, she appeared at the doorway, shooting a biting look at Ron.  
  
"Ron, I told you to wake Harry up, not gibber with him! Let's go, you're going to miss the train." In a flicker, she disappeared.  
  
"Tell me later. Come down soon, okay?" Harry nodded. He knew that he was still being watched every minute, but couldn't see them. They're probably under an Invisibility Cloak, he thought. That's why he no more changed his clothes is his room. He would do that in the bathroom, when he would go in and shut the door in a nanosecond so they couldn't follow. What if they Apparated?  
  
A reckless motion towards the bed desk made Harry jump. Well, I was right.  
  
All of his past month's anger was fuming up inside him. Why can't they just leave me alone!  
  
With a bitter voice, he uttered, "Ok, I know you're there, so just come out in the open! I'm not going to get undressed when someone's gaping at me under an Invisibility Cloak!"  
  
He was breathing hardly as he waited for someone to appear.  
  
And they did. Bill Weasley reappeared from his cloak and Lupin Apparated right next to him.   
  
"Sorry Harry. I'm here on orders." Said Bill apologetically, who was dressed in a long tattered blue cloak and was taking the Invisibility Cloak off. He left the room swiftly, not waiting for Harry's retort. Now Lupin and Harry were alone. He was glaring at him unpleasantly. Ever since the day of Sirius's memorial, he was feeling awkward towards Lupin.  
  
"So, I reckon, are you planning to follow me on the train?" He mocked.  
  
"I'm really sorry, but yes, I will be." Lupin declared calmly.  
  
He rolled his eyes, "Why? There's going to be a bunch of people around me!"  
  
"That's not why. I didn't want to tell you, but I'm the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, well, not new, actually." He said as an after-thought.  
  
Harry's eyes widened. Lupin?  
  
"You But I thought you were afraid that parents would complain and-"  
  
"Professor Dumbledore practically begged me into it, so get ready quickly, Harry." He was about to Disapparate when he took a step forward and smiling, he said, "Oh, and one more thing. We don't watch when you get undressed, and for other private maters, we don't watch them either."  
  
CRACK.  
  
A few seconds later, he was in the shower, thinking about his dream. He remembered the friendly encounter with Voldemort and Dumbledore's words in his office as a part of Harry's past. Bu the vision of him and Neville in a dark room was new, as well as the bright room with the baby girl. He didn't want to think about the last two scenes, so he thought about his summer at Grimmauld Palace. It hadn't been as bad as he had anticipated, even with his "STATIONED LOOKOUTS" and the worried looks from Mrs.Weasley.  
  
The day when he and Hermione had kissed for the first time entered his mind. Fred and George had nagged him about this, and Harry found it so annoying that he had almost tore them apart. Their jokes were still on, but they stayed away from Harry for the most part. He figured that Bill's curses might have been an enough of a warning to Fred.  
  
He and Hermione were trying to act normally as they always did when they were around each other, but occasionally, they stared at each other, and smiled.  
  
Luna and Neville had left the house the next day, unexpectedly making the house louder and busier. Unlike last year, Lupin had been in the house almost every day, trying to spend time with Harry, along with Ron and Hermione. Once they went to northern London to watch a Quidditch game between London and Poland, which wasn't as exciting as the Quidditch World Cup, but it was worthwhile seeing. Also, they had gone to Diagon Alley and Rimlock Alley several times. Rimlock Alley was similar to Diagon Alley, but it had a lot of Muggle-related antics and objects, similar to the Quidditch table Hermione had brought to the house.  
  
Grimmuald Palace was still a bit dirty, so, Ron, and Hermione had been intensely purifying it on Mrs.Weasley's orders. Harry remembered the day that Ron and Harry had finally gotten the privilege to talk alone.  
  
He had been in Hermione and Ginny's room, playing with the Quidditch table by shooting Quaffles in the miniature hoops. He stopped abruptly when he saw Harry walk in.  
  
"Oh, hi."  
  
"Hey. Are you angry with me?"  
  
Ron looked away and said, "No."  
  
One of Harry's eyebrows rose.  
  
Ron stared at him, right in the eye, "Yeah."  
  
Harry was surprised at the forwardness of Ron's second response.   
  
"Well?"  
  
Ron didn't say anything, but glanced at the table interestingly.  
  
"Are you mad because of me and Hermione?"  
  
  
  
"Yeah." Ron said again. His frontward attitude actually calmed Harry.  
  
"Is it because you saw us kiss in that.that.thing?" He asked.   
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I guess I like Hermione. Do you?"  
  
"No." Ron replied vaguely. Harry snorted. He felt like he was talking to a wall.  
  
"Ron!"  
  
Ron turned his gaze towards and then sat on one of the beds, along with Harry. "Oh, alright! I heard Ginny talking with Hermione before Sirius's er-memorial."  
  
"And?"  
  
"Well," he started, "She told Ginny that she liked you."  
  
A spring-warm feeling suddenly rose inside Harry. Well, he knew why Ginny was giving him those 'looks'.  
  
There and then, Harry had told him everything Dumbledore had said to him in his office, leaving Ron shocked.  
  
He was done showering and put on a clean mint-green t-shirt and black jeans. When he arrived downstairs, he saw trunks and bags gathered up in the entrance hallway, some people were in the kitchen when Harry's feet entered the kitchen, he was facing Lupin once again, Mr.Weasley, and Tonks. Lupin was immersed in an inside page of the Daily Prophet, Mr.Weasley was eating pancakes, and Tonks had been talking to Mr.Weasley, but stopped instantly when Harry came in.  
  
"Good Morning!" Said Mr.Weasley brightly.  
  
Lupin glanced at Harry for a several seconds and then returned to reading the daily prophet.  
  
Tonks twinkled at him.  
  
With a bit of hesitation, he sat down and helped himself to apple pancakes and milk.  
  
He didn't want to go to Hogwarts, but he couldn't stand another day in this house without Ron and Hermione. Almost everyone treated him like he was a treasuring porcelain doll who couldn't be touched so it would be safe. Bu then again, going to Hogwarts meant facing the magical world and the anxious people in it. One thing he anticipated was quidditch, assuming he would get to play again.   
  
And what about the prophecy? Sometimes at night, Harry found himself conjuring up ways to defeat Voldemort, but it seemed absurd that he was the only one competent to beat Voldemort, to kill him-  
  
"So," Interrupted Lupin, with a casual voice, "What did you dream about?"  
  
A feeling of panic came inside, and decided to tell only half, the part about Dumbledore and then Voldemort. He didn't mention the shiny glow that had reflected from his figure, though.  
  
"Are you sure that was it?" Said Lupin.  
  
Don't tell me he's a Ligimens too.  
  
"Yeah, I think so. If there was something else, I don't remember."  
  
"Ah..." Started Tonks, "You now can see the past and the present. What's next? The future?"   
  
Harry cleared his throat noisily.  
  
"Are you almost done Harry?" Said Mr.Weasley.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"The I can tell Percy to start the car-"  
  
"Percy?" Harry cut him short. "He's here?"  
  
Mr.Weasley sighed, "Yes. He just came an hour or so ago with a ministry car, but I can't imagine how he got it..."  
  
His voice trailed off as Harry thought about Percy. He didn't want to say anything to him, didn't have anything to say either.   
  
Mr.Weasley left the room.  
  
Lupin stared at him, and said, "One more thing Harry."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I will be giving you Occlumency lessons at Hogwarts."  
  
Surprised, Harry looked peered down at his half eater pancakes and took another bite. This was another thing he was looking forward to now, along with Quidditch. The dementor-repelling lessons with Lupin had been fun, and so would the Occlumency ones. He was relieved that Snape was teaching him after what he had contemplated in the Pensieve.  
  
"Ok." Said Harry.  
  
"Dumbledore was planning to give you them but he has gotten awfully busy, so I volunteered that I teach you Occlumency."  
  
  
  
Right, he thought.  
  
"Also, we can have a chance to spend some er-time together."  
  
Harry was in the hallway and Percy's face was across from him. His horn-rimmed glasses were perched over his skinny noise, and his freckles appeared brighter than his flaming red hair. He was dressed in a lengthy black cloak.  
  
From him, a glance went to Harry's direction, and then it broke. He was chatting with Mrs.Weasley, who's face was in complete delight while she was handing the trunks one by one to Fred and George to put in the bewitched car. Twice they attempted to levitate them through the door, but the second time a trunk crashed leftwards into a portrait of an ancestor of the Black family.  
  
Mrs.Weasley had been outraged, which had made Fred and George come back to their senses.  
  
  
  
"Silencio!" Harry screamed at George, pointing his wand straight at George. He was standing at one of the doors of the Hogwarts Express, bawling at George leaning close to her and saying something in his ear. For a minute, Hermione went beet red, and then her eyes jointed together and she tried to clap her ears, but George froze her with a spell Harry had never heard of. Her face was still moving, but her body was rigid.  
  
How could no one notice? He thought, but Lupin, Mrs.Weasley, Mr.Weasley, Bill, Moody, and Tonks were about four or five compartments talking to Ginny.  
  
He walked down to whey they were standing, "George! Unfreeze her!" He said in a tired voice  
  
"Here to rescue your girl, eh?" George winced, and then muttered the counter curse.  
  
Hermione unfroze and gazed around. She saw Harry first, and then she looked at George despicably.   
  
She pointed her finger at George, with her wand in her other hand. "You...You..." But she considered George for a long moment and then she took Harry's hand and started to trot towards the train.  
  
"What did he say?" Said Harry.  
  
"Nothing." She replied.  
  
"Really? It had to be something."  
  
"No. It was nothing."  
  
He decided not to say anything, but his curiosity was biting him.  
  
Out the window, vivid green trees and hills zoomed past Harry's eyes as he gazed out the window from the train. Ron and Hermione were on the train somewhere, handling Prefect duties.   
  
He wondered where Lupin was sitting, not that he had any fancy to sit with him.   
  
After a couple of minutes, Neville marched in with his toad, and a brand new wand clutched in his right hand. Harry suddenly remembered his dream.  
  
"Hey." He said.  
  
"Hi." Said Neville.  
  
He sat down on the seat across from Harry.  
  
"So, you got a new wand?"   
  
"Yeah," He replied, "Gran got me one a couple of weeks ago, and she had to. Mind you, she was furious when she found out though. Actually, she just found out a few weeks ago when I told her." He snorted.  
  
"Oh, um...sorry for getting you killed." Harry said as casually as he could.  
  
Neville cackled, and unexpectedly, his toad flew out of his hand and leapt towards Harry. He caught it with surprise and held it down.  
  
"No problem. I wanted to do something for months, ever since that...that...Death Eater got out."  
  
"Yeah, I know." Harry blurted out.  
  
Neville's eyebrows rose, "You know?"   
  
"Er-"  
  
Neville was waiting for him to elaborate.  
  
"I saw her get sent to Azkaban in Dumbledore's Pensieve a year and half ago, in his office."  
  
His friend looked like he had been Stunned with a wand. "You knew? All that time?"  
  
"Yeah." Said Harry.  
  
"So, tell me about it. What happened?"  
  
He told Neville the details of the trial as clearly as he could. He recalled when dementors had glided in the trial court and had positioned themselves near Bellatrix Lestrange, Mr.Crouch's son, and two other people Harry didn't remember. He particularly revived Bellatrix Lestrange's last words to Neville, when she had said that the Dark Lord would rise and come to free them.  
  
Neville went into a deep trance, wondering outside the window.  
  
"Sorry." Mumbled Harry. He felt the deepest empathy towards him, knowing how it felt to have evil kill your parents.  
  
"It's alright." He replied with a sad voice. "I'm sorry I broke the prophecy, Harry. I know it was really important from the way Gran was telling me about it."  
  
Harry's heart beat faster. "She told you-what was in the prophecy?"  
  
"No, but she explained that You-Know-Who had been trying for months to get it because it explained the way to kill you or something. Do you know what it meant? Did anyone tell you?"   
  
  
  
"Yeah," he said truthfully. There was nothing to hide from Neville any longer.  
  
With a really low voice, he said, "It was a prophecy about me and Voldemort. (Neville flinched.) I only heard it once from Dumbledore's Pensieve, but I remember the exact words. 'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."  
  
Neville looked extremely confused. "What does that mean."  
  
Harry grinned, "That's exactly what I said when I heard it. It means the person who has the power to defeat Voldemort was born in late July, sixteen years ago, to parents who had defied Voldemort three times."  
  
Neville stared at him in amazement, "You mean...you...and...Late July...I was born in late July sixteen years ago..."  
  
"Dumbledore said that there were two possible people. Me, and you."  
  
All of the color had been knocked out of his face, "ME? That's totally absurd, impossible, I'm just a wimpy little wizard who doesn't know how to do-"  
  
"Don't finish that sentence." Harry intercepted. "You know how to do plenty, you were just afraid. Do you know, you were probably the best in the D.A. last year, and you are."  
  
"But-"  
  
"And remember that night? You saved me and the others a bunch of times and you stood up to them."  
  
Shaking his head, Neville muttered, "It can't be me...I'm just-"  
  
"But it's not, well it could've been, but Voldemort picked me, or that's what Dumbledore said. It could have been either of us, but he attacked me and made me as equal as him, but I'm not so sure about it."  
  
Neville gulped nervously, "You mean that you're the only one who can kill...?"  
  
"Yeah." A plain answer came from Harry's mouth.  
  
They sat in complete silence until Ron, Hermione, and Luna strode in. Ron and Hermione already had their school robes on, but Luna was wearing a freaky-looking orange-colored cotton dress reaching down to her knees.   
  
Ron sat down next to Neville, followed by Luna, and Hermione sat next to Harry.  
  
Out of the blue, Neville's toad started to bump up and down from his hand, and he almost jumped from his release when Hermione uttered, "Sleriat!'  
  
The toad stopped jumping and crouched calmly in Harry's hand. Luna chortled along with Neville, but Ron gave a look to Hermione that said show-off.  
  
Hermione put her wand next to her and got comfortable on her seat, slightly coming in contact with Harry. "Sure is nice to do magic again. I swear, I would've cursed George right in front of the platform if-"  
  
She stopped instantly when she realized everyone was gazing at her. Her cheeks were red again.   
  
"Uh...so, does anyone know who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is?"  
  
"Lupin. He's on the train right now, I think." Said Harry.  
  
Luna glanced at him shortly, and in her normal dreamy voice, she said, "You say that like it's a bad thing. He's really nice, I remember the second year, he was a great teacher, taught us better than that Lockhart bloke."  
  
Ron sniggered, and Harry shot Luna a dirty look. Ever since he had had that apparition in the beginning of his stay at Grimmuald Place, he had thought worse of Luna.   
  
"It's because everyone was keeping an eye on him everyday in the house, he's just afraid that Lupin's going to do the same." Said Hermione.  
  
Now it was Hermione's turn to receive a fierce glare from him.  
  
"What? He is your guardian!" She said.  
  
In a second, something happened that Harry didn't expect. Hermione's shoulder touched his slightly and his scar shot on fire in a flash. He gave a short cry and touched his scar, hoping it would calm it down.   
  
Hermione jumped, and the others were alarmed as well.  
  
"What is it Harry?" Said Ron, now in front of him.  
  
His scar was still burning, but he couldn't feel anything like he had before. No unknown emotions of Voldemort came to Harry, or any visions.  
  
Hermione took her hand out and touched Harry's scar with it. She gasped, and her eyes closed swiftly. He didn't await it, but his scar calmed down.  
  
Luna was still stuck on her seat, staring at usual, and Neville was in shock. Hermione's eyes were still closed, her hand still on his scar. She appeared to be in some sort of trance.  
  
Ron grasped her arm and said, "Hermione! Hermione! Let go!"  
  
Harry and Ron exchanged nervous expressions. A minute or so passed by.  
  
Finally, Ron said, observing Hermione, "Eh-Should I call for help?"   
  
"Yeah, I think-"  
  
But then, Hermione's eyes flicked open. Her face was contorted in terror and confusion.  
  
"What happened?" Ron said, ridiculously.  
  
Hermione gazed at him, then Harry, and then at Neville and Luna, who looked petrified.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Hermione," said Harry, "your vocabulary really needs to expand today."   
  
She made a nervous sound and then said, "I'll be right back. I have to go to the bathroom."  
  
"What was that all about?" Said Luna.  
  
"And what's going on with your scar?" Added Neville apprehensively.  
  
"I don't know."  
  
Suddenly, the compartment door slid open, Harry thinking it was Hermione, but it wasn't. The pale face of Draco Malfoy was glaring viciously at him. Crabbe and Goyle were behind him, doing the same thing as Malfoy.  
  
"Get out." Warned Ron. Malfoy's attention went to him.  
  
"Shut up, Weasley King." He sneered at Ron, and then continued glaring at Harry. "I'm going to get you, Potter." He whispered dangerously.   
  
"Oh really? Well, at least you'll be with your sorry-for-nothing father who-"  
  
"Petrifi-"  
  
"Stupefy!" Neville was on his feet as he aimed his wand at Malfoy. A red strand of light hit his chest and he fell to the floor with a clunk. He pointed it at Crabbe and Goyle as a warning, and they glanced at each other and then scrambled out, carrying Malfoy by each arm.   
  
"You shouldn't have done that. You could get in trouble." Said the dazed voice of Luna.  
  
Neville stared incredulously at Luna, "And what? Let him petrify Harry?"  
  
"That was brilliant, Neville." Ron exclaimed, with a look of glee on his face.   
  
"Thanks."  
  
"He sounds pretty bummed about Lucius Malfoy in Azkaban. Poor thing." Ron said sarcastically. "Hopefully he'll get sent too, but we can't start celebrating now."   
  
Luna was the only one who found this amusing.   
  
"What's going on with Hermione, though?" Said Neville.  
  
"Why does you scar hurt?" Asked Luna.  
  
"I have no idea." Said Ron and Harry at the same time. 


	9. Back to Hogwarts

Chapter 9 - Back to Hogwarts  
  
Harry held his breath as the entrance door to the Great Hall began to open gradually, not expecting what his reaction would be to Hogwarts again. Like the previous years, they had been escorted to the castle by the carriages that were driven by thestrals, black winged horses that could be visible only if you had witnessed death. This reminded him of Luna, who could see them as well.  
  
Harry also saw Hagrid beckon the first years to the boats with a strong voice, and he was glad to see that Hagrid had a better appearance than when Harry had seen him at Sirius's memorial. Most of the scars had disappeared, and his skin, once purple, was back to its light color, but one disdainful mark Grawp had left behind was Hagrid's teeth, where two of them were still missing.  
  
As he, Ron, and Neville trotted forward, Harry took in the same looking Hall, with a black starless sky and hazy colored candles glimmering in midair, their misty scents going through Harry's body and nose. Ghosts were floating everywhere with glee, some producing fleeting and screeching noises as they swooshed through the hall, and others were conversing deeply with students. Harry noticed that the people at the tables were cheerful and noisy, but not as much as before.  
  
Several heads levitated up to goggle at him and then exchanged excited whispers that were out of his earshot. A burning feeling was rising in his chest, but he suppressed it by looking around the Hal, pretending to find it fascinating. Then he remembered that Hermione still hadn't-  
  
"Look at them Harry! They're actually smiling at you!" Said Ron from behind him.   
  
Harry's head fell down with a drop. Ron was right, because quite a few people were waving at him gracefully, some were whispering exasperatedly, and the remainder lot were staring vividly at his scar with appreciation. He quickly flattened his bangs down, and waved back nervously, his heart being back to normal.  
  
A considerable amount of students greeted him when they sat down at the Gryffindor table around Seamus and Dean, who were chatting about the Daily Prophet.  
  
"What about it?" Said Harry, avoiding the fact that Parvati and Lavender were looking his way.  
  
"They were saying that Fudge hasn't commented on anything about You-Know-Who for the past month, and-"  
  
Seamus was cut off, because the Sorting Hat had just placed itself on a three legged wooden chair in front of the tables. Its mouth opened wide and words started to come out:  
  
A thousand years ago,  
  
When there was hope in the world,  
  
Four founders joined together  
  
And made a magical school unfurl.  
  
This school was destined to teach  
  
Young boys and girls,  
  
For seven difficult years  
  
And then would become witches and wizards.  
  
I was made to sort you into houses,  
  
Gryffindor: the bravest and boldest  
  
Slytherin: ambitious and power-hungry  
  
Hufflepuff: being the most wisest  
  
And Ravenclaw: intelligent and outwitty  
  
Today, even though I sort you,  
  
Remember this: the power to overcome  
  
Anything is unity and companionship..."  
  
"Where is she?" Ron breathed hoarsely into Harry's ear.  
  
"Who?" Said Harry, even though he knew what Ron was talking about.  
  
"Hermione! You don't think something happened to her? Like Malfoy?"  
  
The Sorting Hat was still chiming its song, while he was pondering about Hermione. What had happened? One second her shoulder had brushed against his own, setting his scar on fire, and then she had touched it, making her eyes shut in concentration for a several minutes...  
  
The staff table suddenly caught his attention. In the middle was Dumbledore, dressed in long blue robes and a bizarre conical hat, showing off a vibrant smile that made Harry warm. On either side of him was Professor McGonagall and a vicious Snape.  
  
But the person sitting next to Snape caught Harry's eye. A lanky woman dressed in white robes was looking out one of the window, with a mystified-but-stern expression. Her eyes resembled two wide slits, and her pale face and long black hair made her represent a tall white swan.  
  
Surely, she couldn't be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, so...?  
  
A ringing applause broke out, and one by one, new children started to approach the chair as Professor McGonagall called out names.  
  
"Ambrose, Caitlin!" She shouted, and a shaking red-haired girl sat down on the chair and seconds later, the Hat bellowed, "RAVENCLAW!"  
  
A warm applause filled the room, and on went the sorting.  
  
The last person was "Wilson, Princet" who got sorted into Slytherin, and then Dumbledore cleared his throat and clinked his goblet noisily.  
  
The rumble in the room disappeared, and Dumbledore beamed at them!"  
  
"Well, another year starts! I welcome the first years, and the old students back! I have a few notices to give out, but first of all, let me introduce our new staff member, Priscilla Evans, who will replace the duty of caretaker, Argus Filch, who has unfortunately retired.  
  
The tall woman Harry had taken note of earlier waved warmly to everyone as the students, as well as the staff clapped. There was no doubt that this witch was widely appreciated, or maybe it was that her appeal was so intriguing, or from the fact that they were free from Argus Filch.  
  
"Welcome to Hogwarts!" Said Dumbledore, giving Priscilla Evans a merry look. Then he turned hi face towards the students. "NO, I would like to note that the Forbidden Forest is off limits to the first years, as well as the rest of the students. Maybe you didn't take me seriously previous times when I informed you this (Harry and Ron exchanged smirks), but this time I am warning you that certain civilians in the Forest will not tolerate your entrance." Dumbledore sighed.  
  
Harry knew Dumbledore was referring to the centaurs, who no longer gave mercy to even Hogwarts students.  
  
"...Quidditch practices will be held on September 20th, and as a safety precaustion, nobody is allowed outside past 8 in the evening."  
  
Muffled groans spread through the Great Hall like poison, shocked at the rule. Harry smirked though, since his Invisibility Cloak would be with him.  
  
Dumbledore continued, "This new curfew is the Ministry's request, and I approved. It is not safe to wander out of the castle at night, and hopefully nobody will break this rule."  
  
Harry could've sworn that Dumbledore had given him a glance.  
  
"Argus Filch has left us his list of Highly Dangerous items on the front door of his office, and the rule remains: if anyone is spotted with these items, there will be punishment."  
  
With new spots of wrinkles on his face and his drooping eyebrows, Dumbledore appeared to be older than ever. But still, he winked gleamingly and said, "Well? Dig in!"  
  
Whopping platters of every kind of food and drink zoomed out of nowhere and rested on all of the tables. With squirming delight, Harry dug in the pumkin pie without a thought.  
  
As he was eating, he noticed that Ron was glaring at Dean with distaste.  
  
"What's up?" Asked Harry, and Ron looked away, "How can she go out with him? Look at him!"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Ginny! She's still going out with him!" He breathed so that no one else could hear.  
  
"What's wrong with him?" Said Harry.  
  
But what was wrong with him, he never found out, because a familiar but savory voice spoke from their left, "Mmm..." It was Hermione, settling herself on the bench between him and Ron, completely oblivious to the fact that she had been absent for over an hour.  
  
Harry, who had just gulped a mouthful of apple juice, attempted to make a sound, but Ron beat him.  
  
"Where were you?" He demanded in a garbled voice, with balls of mashed potatoes in his mouth.  
  
Hermione's eyes wer on the fried chicken in front of her, "I went to talk to Lupin." She replied, with a normal voice.  
  
"Yeah? Why?" Said Ron.  
  
"I had to discuss with him about the private lessons he's going to give me." She said, while one of her hands grabbed the chicken and put it calmly against her mouth.  
  
Suddenly, Harry coughed, "What lessons?"  
  
"Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts Lessons."  
  
"Why?" Said Ron, with suspicion in his voice.  
  
Finally, she tilted her head up, and bit off a Chocolate Frog, with an irritated look on her face.  
  
"Because he thinks that I can handle more than the regular classes he's planned for the six years. Now, can you stop badgering me?!" She said loudly, so that now everyone within 10 feet could hear her, but Ron didn't seem to notice.   
  
"But how come when you left-"  
  
"Seamus, what were you saying about Fudge?" Said Harry over his friend's accusing voice. It was obvious that Hermione was not so keen on talking about the subject, and Harry could understand from the numberous times that he had felt that way.  
  
Seamus glanced at Ron and Hermione curiously, "I was saying that Fudge ahsn't appeared anywhere except for work at the Ministry, and they can't fnd him now, he hasn't been showing to work for a week. My mum said that-"  
  
"Dad was telling me about that a while ago!" Cut in Ron, "Some people even think that Fudge is under a spell by the goblins, imagine that, eh?"  
  
Harry felt like a complete fool. He had been residing with the magical for almost two months, but hadn't bothered to even pick up the Daily Prophet to keep up with the news.  
  
"Oh shut up. That's impossible." Snapped Hermione, "Goblins might be powerful, but they would never control a person, especially the Minister of Magic."  
  
Ron was so taken aback that he looked like he was on the verge of Hexing Hermione.  
  
"Then what do you think happened?"  
  
"I'm not sure, but I do know that it wasn't goblins."  
  
Ron rolled his eyes, and muttered under his breath, "Maybe it was an elf."  
  
  
  
Harry was now aleep on his four-poster bed, deep in his dreams. A small figure of Professor McGonagall came into view, telling him that she could turn into a ginger biscuit. Then it switched to Luna in front of him, telling him that she had bewitched his Firebolt.  
  
Suddenly, the dream turned shades darker and held onto a deep blue color. He couldn't see anything, but could smell a stale burning odor, and a strong force of dread went through him like wind howling past him.  
  
A muffled groan now entered Harry's ear, and it grew louder. Harry felt cold and alarmed with suspense, and a bursting noise rang out. The cry of a baby was also noticeable.  
  
Again, it changed to vivid reen screen with bee-buzzing that he could hear. A gloomy-blue rectangular room came into view, full with benches and an ancient archway in the middle-  
  
The veil, Harry thought. The archway zoomed in closer and closer.  
  
A lifeless silhouette of a body was visible next to the tattered veil,coered with red stains that appeared to be blood. The scene zoomed in closer, and he saw that the person had something glowing white clutched tightly in their right had. With black untidy hair, torn black robes, and a revealing sharp scar on his forehead, something struck Harry hard like stone. It was him.  
  
Expectedly, the Death Chamber swirled out of view, and came to complete blackness, and he could see no more.  
  
  
  
"Harry, you're not eating. What's wrong?" Commented Hermione over breakfast the next morning. Harry had a feeling of heaviness in him, like it would never depart. The flash of him most recent dream was horrifying, and it reminded him of his dead body as a boggart that Mrs.Weasley had once seen. Am I going to end up as the victim...?  
  
He peered out the windows, and the weather surely matched his mood. Furious streaks of rain were hitting the ground like bombs, creating plit-plat noises, and thunder was rumbling down occasionally.  
  
"Nothing. I just had a bad dream." Harry and Hermione were one of the few that were in the Hall in the early hours of the morning. Hemrione said that she needed to get some reading done, and he just wasn't able to sleep, as just seeing himself on the floor in that room...  
  
"What was the dream about?" Asked Hermione, with full curiousity, and having put down her book titled, Numbers: In Advanced about as thick as all of Harry's schoolbooks put together.  
  
"I don't remember." He said.  
  
"How can you not remember? You always remembered your other dreams, right?"  
  
"Yeah, but I forgot this one. Why do you care anyway?"  
  
Hermione seemed to be hurt, but she just eyed him intently and carried on, "It wasn't about the day when Voldemort killed your parents, was it?"  
  
"No, it-why would you think it was that one?" Harry stared at her with an alienlike expression. This question had been too eager, "Ok, what is your secret?"  
  
Hermione put on a frown, "Huh?"   
  
"What aren't you telling us? Why did you just leave the compartment yesterday?"   
  
"I told you, I went to Lupin-"   
  
"Oh come on, Hermione. Maybe that was it, but your went to him for something else too, didn't you?" Said Harry.  
  
"Alright, I'll tell you, but wait 'till Ron comes." Said Hermione, peering over his shoulder.  
  
"No, tell me now-"  
  
"Good morning." Mumbled Ron as he sat down at the table.  
  
Harry turned to her, "Ok. Tell."  
  
Ron yawned, and then gazed at him and Hermione, "How long have you been up?"   
  
Hermione grabbed all of her books and stuffed them hastily in her raggedy bookbad, and then said, "Not that long. Erm...yesterday, when we were on the train, I had a flash... or a vision, I dunno...I saw Voldemort kill you and your mother."  
  
Harry felt like he had been hit with a stunning spell.  
  
"What do you mean when you say you had a vision?" Demanded Ron, now fully awake.  
  
"I don't know," She shivered, "It was like a dream, but I know it couldn't have been. It was like I was there, watching."  
  
He knew what she was referring to, because that's exactly how he visualized it when he had his apparitions.  
  
"But what was that doing in your head?" Said Harry, as normally as he could.  
  
"Lupin reckons it's because I touched your scar and we had a connection."  
  
  
  
"Are you serious, or lying?" Said Ron.  
  
Hermione scowled at him, "By the way Harry, has anyone ever touched your scar? Except for you, of course."  
  
"What did you see?" He asked, totally ignoring her question.  
  
"I don't recall that much, but when I touched your scar, I saw Voldemort's body burst through the door, and then....er-your father came in the room and told...told your mother to take you and go...I forget the part in the middle, but after that, Voldemort said to your mum to stand aside and let him kill you, but your mum wouldn't go so...he killed her, and then he said the Avada Kedavra spell, and this green light hit your face, but it just backfired to him, and he just became hollow, a spirit, and something flew away..." Her voice trailed away, and she stared at Harry.  
  
He stared up at the ceiling, trying to keep himself together. Hermione had seen his parents' last moments, but all Harry had heard was his mother and father's frightening voices, he hadn't witnessed the whole scene...  
  
This is too weird...he thought, I just wish I could be somebody else...  
  
"This is all too weird. So, has anyone else ever touched your scar?" Asked Ron very nervously.  
  
Nobody came to mind, because he barely even liked his scar shown to people, so of course nobody would've made contact with it.  
  
"No, not that I can remember."  
  
Hermione started to brush her hair with a comb, and had her back against them, and she was gazing at the ceiling too.   
  
After a while, when the room was almost full, a trail of adverse owls flew through, like swarming butterflies, each one holding a sunshine yellow envelope, and three of them flew towards their direction.  
  
Each one dropped the envelopes onto the table, and Harry, Ron, and Hemrione grasped them. Each one had their own name, and soon they started to rip them open.   
  
With wonder, Harry pulled out a silver piece of parchment and rolled it out.  
  
"O.W.L Results." Hermione breathed, as if a pool of gold had just found its way to her.  
  
On Harry's envelope was written:  
  
Transfiguration: EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS  
  
Potions: EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS  
  
Defense Against the Dark Arts: OUTSTANDING  
  
Charms: OUTSTANDING  
  
Herbology: ACCEPTABLE  
  
Astronomy: ACCEPTABLE  
  
Divination: POOR  
  
Care of Magical Creatures: EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS  
  
History of Magic: POOR  
  
His eyes widened with surprise, because his O.W.L results were definitely higher than he'd expected, especially in Potions. He wondered if Snape had intended to give him Exceeds Expectations or if Dumbledore had stepped in for the matter.  
  
Harry croaked his neck over to Ron's parchment and saw that Ron had gotten five Acceptables, three Exceeds Expectations and Two Poors. Ron's mouth came into a wide smile.  
  
"Not bad." Said Harry.  
  
"Not bad? I expected around 6 Poor O.W.L's and three Acceptables. They did come a little late though."  
  
Immediately, both of them peered at Hermione's scroll, and saw tha she had gotten 'Outstanding' for every subject excluding Ancient Runes', in which she received an 'Exceeds Expectations."  
  
"No!" She shrieked frustratingly. Both Harry and Ron raised an eyebrow, but they couldn't expect any other reaction from Hermione for getting almost perfect O.W.L's  
  
"Oh no, Hermione! Did you fail, dear? Mind if I switch results with you?" Mocked Ron, and went for Hermione's parchment. Hermione slapped Ron's arm and started to laugh.  
  
"What did you get?" Said Hermione, and snatched Ron's paper from his left side.  
  
"That's really good Ron!" She exclaimed, as her eyes went up and down the silver parchment.  
  
"Not as good as you though. I reckon I should start paying attention this year." Said Ron seriously.  
  
Hermione's mouth fell open and then went to touch his forehead, "Are you feeling alright? Is somebody else in Ickle Ronny's head?" She tapped Ron's brain from the side.  
  
A feeling of icy sweat fell over Harry, and stared at his results in front him. The he rolled up the parchment, put it in his bookbag, and stood up.  
  
"Where are you going?" Said Hermione  
  
"Lupin. I'll be back." He answered shortly.  
  
Harry went past the 2nd floor, and then turned up to go to the third floor, and after that he didn't know where he was going because he was thinking intensely, and his chest heaving. Oh stop it, a voice inside him said, they're just friends...  
  
But what about Ron? Another voice spoke from inside, didn't he say that he like Hermione?  
  
Even if he didn't, it was so obvious, the way he got jealous the moment Viktor Krum's name to Hermione's lips, and they were always bickering madly like a married couple...  
  
Did he really like Hermione more than Ron, or was it-  
  
Slam. He had just bumped into someone before realizing it, almost falling to the ground. Harry grabbed a hold of the person, "I'm sorry-"  
  
"It's alright." A dreamy voice spoke. It was Luna.   
  
  
  
"Sorry. I had no idea where-"  
  
"I was going," she completed, "Yes, I can see that." Her straggly hair was now straight and drenched wet, along with her wet robes, and had her usual dazed expression on her face.  
  
"Were you outside?" Said Harry, eyeing her mysteriously.  
  
She nodded, "I had to go see Hagrid."  
  
Harry was immensely surprised, "Why?"  
  
"He wanted to know if I would take care of one of his salamanders for a few months, so I went down this morning to tell him I could."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Well, Bye." Said Luna distantly.  
  
"I have to go down to the common room too." They both walked down together.  
  
  
  
"Your schedules are being handed out, and classes will start at 9:00 am." Professor McGonagall announced to the Gryffindor Common Room the next morning, entering with thundering rolls of parchment.  
  
"As you see, not all of you got in the classes you requested, effected by your O.W.L results, but there were exceptions..." She said and gave Harry a quick glance.  
  
Today, he had Double Potions (oh no), Charms, Transfiguration, and Double Defense Against the Dark Arts.  
  
Double Potions first thing in the morning? What had he done to deserve this?  
  
After a moment, he realized something. Snape only took students with an 'Outstanding' O.W.L in his class, so how had he gotten it.   
  
He already knew the answer, but he was peeved. One thing was that Harry didn't want to receive special treatment, and the second was the fact that he would have to continue with Potions. A part of him had been hoping that he wouldn't get in, partially being the reason why he had applied for Potions, if he wanted to become and Auror. Ron hadn't even bothered to sign his name, only scraping an 'Acceptable' in Potions.  
  
An hour or so had passed, when Harry entered Snape's dungeon with Hermione striding alongside him.  
  
Both of them settled in seats in the middle of the room, and Harry was still a little uncomfortable around Hermione since the other day, but he had felt better when he had chatted with Luna down his way to the Common Room. He had talked about his O.W.L results and she had mentioned how she was nervous about taking the O.W.L's this year. She'd also mentioned the new caretaker, Evans, who happened to be her distant aunt.   
  
Harry looked ahead and saw that Snape was hovering his head completely over a jar of purple goo. Its contents were bubbling upwards, and he had the sudden urge to shove the bottle on Snape's slimy face.  
  
A few minutes later, Malfoy, Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle marched in cheeringly except for Malfoy. He caught Harry's eye immediately, and threw him a deadly glare, and he received an equal one from Harry. They took seats right behind him and Hermione, but it was no use changing seats now, Harry thought, since all of them had filled up.  
  
"Settle down." Said Snape icily and got up from his desk to walk around the room slowly.  
  
"Most of you in here have achieved an Outstanding O.W.L in Potions, resulting in being competent enough to carry with Advanced Potions. But first of all, let's get something straight."  
  
"I will not tolerate a student who is slacking up and isn't working up to their potential, especially towards the end of the year, where things tend to get difficult."  
  
"I have an errand to tend to, and I will return in five minutes, and if anyone is doing anything other than potion making, they will pay." Snape eyed Harry loathingly, and continued, "Today, you will make a Drowzy Potion, used to cure hyperness and hyperventilation. Instructions are on the board, and the supplies in front of you. Begin." Snape observed the room a last time, turned, and strided out the door.  
  
Harry's eyes widened as he observed the board containing about 40 steps to the Drowzy Potion.  
  
"What a tough Potion." Sneered a voice from Harry's back, and turned swiftly to see Malfoy whispering rather loudly to Crabbe and Goyle, "Let's just hope Potter doesn't get another D."  
  
All three laughed, and Harry's hands balled into fists. Hermione gave him a warning look, and he tried hard to concentrate on his potion which was now a dark green color.  
  
"Having any more visions, Potter?" Said Malfoy, now directly to Harry, who could feel himself growing hotter by the second. No, a firm voice came into hi head, he's not worth it...  
  
"What is it this time?" His voice was now a mere whisper, so that only Harry could hear, "Dark corridors? Strange curtains? Glowing objects?"  
  
Harry's neck cricked around impulsively, glowering at Malfoy. He knows something.  
  
"What on earth are you babbling about?" Spat out Harry.  
  
"Let's just hope Harry Potter doesn't crack and end up in St.Mungo's."  
  
"At least I won't be in Azkaban, getting my soul sucked out." Retorted Harry quietly.  
  
"Well," Whispered Malfoy, "At least Father didn't 'fall through', if you know what I mean."  
  
Before Harry knew what he was doing, he found himself standing with his wand ready to strike at Malfoy, who was up himself, armed. He could feel everyone's eyes on them, but he didn't care.  
  
"No, Harry!" Said Hermione.  
  
But before he had any time to think, a cold voice rang out, "Potter!"  
  
Snape was back, with a dangerous look on his face.  
  
" I leave this classroom for a minute, and you start fighting. Forty points from Gryffindor. Now sit down before you get detention."  
  
He couldn't believe it. He sat down, and stared angrily at Snape, wishing he could take his face off of the surface of the planet... 


	10. Convos

Chapter 10  
  
"Why does he always have to know every single damn thing about me?" Barked Harry as he slammed his fist onto the lunch table. His lunch tray went shooting up in midair, and his hand hammered with short-term pain.  
  
Ron shrugged his shoulders not knowing what to say, more concentrated on what he was eating, but Hermione spoke out in a matter-of-fact tone.  
  
"It's obvious." She said while taking a bite of her sandwich and having her eyes glued on the book in front of her, "Malfoy's father is a Death Eater, and of course, he takes orders from Voldemort (Ron stirred uneasily), so Voldemort saw your dream and informed Malfoy."  
  
With no surprise, Ron rolled his eyes, "If I'm not mistaken, I think that was a rhetorical question."  
  
Harry's chest was still heaving madly, and he knew the food entering his mouth didn't want to. He felt sick, feeling like he had been throwing up over and over again. Instead of going to Care of Magical Creatures next, he felt more like planning ways to execute Malfoy, the stupid bastard...  
  
"'Mione, can I have a look at your Charms essay?" Said Ron, with a parchment out that only had his name on so far. Hermione took her hand and shifted her sleek hair behind her ears and looked up.  
  
"Are you ever going to learn to do your homework?"  
  
"Tomorrow I will." He mocked.  
  
"Sure you will." She replied sarcastically.  
  
"So can I see it?"   
  
Harry distracted himself from Ron and Hermione's usual bickering by taking out his own Charms essay that he hadn't even started.  
  
'Dryads come from Greek mythology and are female spirits of nature that preside over the forests. A dryad is born with a certain tree species and a particular tree, which she watches over. If the tree is destroyed then the Dryad perishes along side the tree. Dryads punish mortals that somehow damage the trees. Explain the three ways to get into a tree magically...'  
  
He stared at it, but Draco's snide comments kept on entering his ears. Maybe if we make a Deadly Potion in Potions, he thought, then I can gobble it down his throat...  
  
"You can do your own Charms essay," She snapped at him and continued, "it's about time both of you start doing your homework, what's to happen to when you take N.E.W.T's?"  
  
"I didn't say anything!" Harry fumed, suddenly out of his reverie, "And anyways, it's about charms that help you charm your way into trees. Who cares about such rubbish?"   
  
"Maybe you should, it could come in handy one day."  
  
Harry snorted, "Yeah, maybe when we start living inside trees."  
  
Ron looked at Hermione hopefully, "Please? Just this one time? I won't ever-"  
  
"-bother you again." Hermione finished his sentence, "So I've heard before."  
  
"Fine. But if I fail, then what would happen? Do you really want that hanging on your conscience?"  
  
"Oh, shut up! I don't have time for this! Do you see this book?"" She nagged, holding the leather-bound book up, "I have to read half of this by tomorrow!"  
  
  
  
"Yeah, but-"  
  
Hermione glared at him and Ron was about to open his mouth once again when someone interrupted.  
  
"Did someone say Charms essay?" Said Seamus, who was sitting a small distance away from Hermione. "Mind you, I could use some-"  
  
"No." Hermione cut in; her reply was short and firm, but not cold. Seamus shrugged his shoulders and laughed, "Wasn't expecting a yes, anyway."  
  
"What exactly did you dream about?" Hermione spoke to Harry after a few minutes.  
  
"My dead body." Harry said blandly. Why keep it from them?  
  
"Oh..." Hermione stared across the Great Hall dreamily, having an identical appearance to Luna Lovegood.  
  
"Dead body...?" Ron said with an awkward voice, who definitely had lost his mocking voice in an instant, "I'm confused...does that mean..."  
  
"That makes two of us." He said.  
  
"You should tell Dumbledore, Harry." Hermione articulated, coming out of her daze.  
  
"Would you stop telling me that?!"  
  
She acted like she hadn't heard anything and went on, "You know what happened last year, and it wouldn't have happened if we'd gone to Dumbledore and told him about your er-dreams in the first place."  
  
Harry laughed madly, "Go tell him about my problems when he wouldn't even look at me?"  
  
"But...didn't you say that Dumbledore was trying to distance himself from you because of You-Know-Who?" Ron whispered.  
  
"How was I supposed to know that then? Don't you think he could've told me then, all about the-" He glanced around him, "you-know-what?"  
  
"He was just trying to protect you," Hermione sympathized, "You know he cares about you a lot, that's why he couldn't tell you sooner, he thought it would hurt you. Apparently it has."  
  
  
  
"It has not hurt me!" Said Harry, but inside he knew it had to some extent. Finding out that you were the only person in the world of magical existence that could defeat the greatest wizard was exhilarating.  
  
"Yes it has." Hermione finalized and started to pack up her school things, "Now let's go or we'll be late for Hagrid's class."  
  
Ron didn't take Care of Magical Creatures anymore, so they both said bye to him and left the Great Hall. 


	11. The Benu

Chapter 11 - the Benu  
  
A sharp holly tree branch stroked against Harry's upper arm while he walked through the deep path of the Forbidden Forest. He muffled a groan, feeling like his shoulder had just came in contact with a deadly knife, and Hermione, who was beside him said, "How many more dangerous creatures can Hagrid come up with?"  
  
"Dunno." Said Harry truthfully, observing a few gray owls circling their heads about a few feet above. His temper and the insides of him seemed to have cooled off when he started to stroll through the forest with the rest of the class.  
  
"What if he shows up Grawp? Does he still have him in here? Oh God, what if-"  
  
"Shhh!" Hagrid had just backed up a few steps and almost hit Neville with his cross arrow. Neville stumbled onto the wet carpet-like ground, and Harry extended his hand to him. A few people giggled.  
  
"Thanks." Said Neville, feeling humiliated. They started to pace themselves to catch up with Hermione.  
  
Taking another friendly walk in the Forbidden Forest was starting to lessen Harry's sympathy for Hagrid. The major reason he had chosen this class was to be near him, since last year they hadn't gotten a chance to talk at all, all because of that toad.  
  
Every time he thought of Umbridge, hey felt like he had just gulped down some poisoned toadstool, but on the other hand, the image of her getting carried off to god-knows-where by a herd of centaurs quite brightened his mood.  
  
"Righ' here." Growled Hagrid and put a stop to his feet. Everyone halted as well and stared at him. He rotated his body towards the massive holly tree and blew a blaring whistle that rang out in the forest.  
  
The leaves of the tree rustled lightly, and then rested. To Harry, it felt like hours had passed, but after a minute, they wavered. A handful of strange-formed birds flew out of the tree and circled above Hagrid's head. They were heron-like, with two long feathers coming out of the rear of their dark-colored heads and two of them had gold-plated crowns. The wings on the birds were wider than normal, and they were flapping swiftly amongst the cool breeze in the forest, dropping bits of dust down to the ground. Their waving tales and flame-red bodies reminded Harry of Fawkes, greatly resembling the phoenix.  
  
"Ther' called benu, ther' sacred en Egypt, erm-" Hagrid stuttered and glanced at Harry for some reason, "Lot simila' to a phoenix, 'cept they multiply inter more."   
  
One of the benu slowly flew down to ground level and rested its twig-like feet on the pointed grass, while another took itself on Hagrid's shoulder, making soft chirpy noises.   
  
"Anyone know wha' ther purpose is?"  
  
Harry looked around at all of the curious faces, but no one raised their hand; not even Hermione.  
  
"They-er-lead the souls o' the dead down ter-erm- whereva they go."  
  
Harry didn't have a clue why Hagrid was being so vague to them.  
  
"Very nice ter humans, yeh'll have fun feedin' em, 'n they can fly wherever yer want teh go."  
  
"Ther' very similar ter the hippogriffs, yeh gotta win ther' trust an' then they'll let yer fly with 'em."  
  
Standing next to Harry, Hermione put her hand up.  
  
"Hermione?"  
  
"How are you supposed to fly with them? They're too small, aren't they?"  
  
From Harry's experience in the Chamber of Secrets four years ago, they probably would have to hold the benu's tail. The extreme image of Ron, Professor Lockhart, and him flying away with Fawkes entered his mind.   
  
"Ther' small in the mornin' 'cuz ther' reborn everyday after midnigh' an' they get bigger throughout the day."  
  
Harry glanced at the benu and Hermione was right; they were quite small even comparing to Hagrid's shoulders.  
  
"Great birds, they are," He said, "Jus' nip ther' beak an' get ter know 'em." Hagrid gave out another whistle, but it was more controlled and firm than the previous one.  
  
The benu neared the students, and a rather large one with the crown upon its head came close to Harry. He had to admit that he was not the least bit scared as he looked into its lively crimson eyes. He kneeled down to the benu's level and nipped the bird's beak with his index finger. Its beak was sharp and the benu flapped its wings sluggishly and stared at Harry with its glittery eyes.  
  
  
  
"One mor' thing," Hagrid spoke out, "All benu r' male, jus' ter let yer kno'."  
  
Harry gazed at the benu unblinkingly, and he felt like they were having a staring contest.  
  
After a minute, Harry tore his eyes away from the benu and took a look at his classmates to find out how they were doing. Neville's benu was the other crowned one and he was pecking his beak nervously, and he bit back. Neville yelped in pain and sucked his sore finger in his mouth. Hermine's benu was gazing at her similarly to Harry's, but wasn't calm; his wings were moving rapidly and he was hopping off and on the earth. The other selected Gryffindors seemed to be having more difficulty, because all of their birds were not on the ground; some were fleeting in the air and others were spanking the students viciously with their tails and wings.  
  
With about a half hour of the period left, Hagrid spent it by attempting to calm down all of the benu. As the end approached, most of them were resting away from Harry's frightened classmates, but a number of them were after Lavender, Parvati, and a 7th year boy Harry didn't know.  
  
"That lesson wasn't so bad." Hermione commented as they were leaving the Forbidden forest a few minutes later.  
  
"Yeah." Said Harry, still picturing his benu's mysterious eyes and his beautiful crown.  
  
"Don't you wonder what Hagrid meant when he said, 'they lead the souls of the dead to wherever they go?"  
  
"Maybe they lead to heaven or-" Harry paused hesitantly.  
  
"Hell?" Hermione finished for him and then laughed, "You can say Voldemort but you can't say hell?"  
  
Harry didn't speak.  
  
"Wonder why I've never read about them, though. I'll have to go to the library today.  
  
"Surprise, surprise." Harry said sarcastically. Did a day ever pass when she didn't go to the library?  
  
"Want to come?" Said Hermione keenly.  
  
"Er-no. We'll probably get tons of homework, and then I have Occlumency with Lupin."  
  
"Finally! You're starting!" She whispered, "I was getting worried about that, he should've began giving you them on the first day of school."  
  
Harry thought that having his mind attacked on the first day at Hogwarts would be too extreme, even for him. He knew that Lupin wasn't going to come even an inch next to Snape's brutality, but it was still awkward having Lupin fill in Sirius's footsteps...  
  
After a few minutes, they had departed the forest and now Hermione and Harry were in the hallway.  
  
"See you at dinner." She said and aimed at him for a soft peck on the cheek, but he backed up a bit. She had a mixture of a hurt and curious look on her face, but she didn't speak and marched away to make a right turn at the corridor.   
  
He felt stretched out inside, as if two things were pulling at him at once trying to win him over. He didn't know where to turn.  
  
  
  
The early evening had an evil aura swimming amongst it. Harry could feel it. The howling wind outside the Hogwarts grounds whistled against the forest area and struck him and blew his hair back.  
  
He had to admit that he was nervous about his first Occlumency lesson with Lupin. His scar was prickling slightly while he approached Lupin's office and his wand was clutched as tight as superglue to his right hand.   
  
The room revealed itself to be of grimy and a vague quality, with shades of black against the wooden-colored walls and hints of green mist were visible from the direction of the eloquent fireplace on the far right side.  
  
  
  
The style and objects of Lupin's office were a mixture of Mad-Eye Moody and Dumbledore's flavors. A few Dark Detectors were resting on the mantelpiece, along with heads of house elves. Shadowed portraits were stuck to the walls, some familiar to Harry. Most were snoozing, but two of them sparked open their eyes and had given their total attention to Harry.  
  
He suddenly felt cold. Small bumps were rising on his skin. He sensed somebody else's existence in the room, but there was no one.  
  
Harry settled himself on a chair and gazed at the room, wondering where Lupin was.  
  
"He will be back soon, dear." A female voice spoke behind Harry. He swerved to find one of the women in the portraits looking at him directly. She was rather large with a shiny red shawl draped on her left shoulder.  
  
"Err-ok." He said, and the woman kept on goggling at him.   
  
A considerable amount of minutes passed by, but Harry didn't dare touch anything. He had noticed an unusual object on Lupin's desk, a cone shaped device with spiral twigs sticking out of the sides and the point being at the top. He had an urge to stick his finger on top of the pointy top, but resisted from prior experience with meddling in other people's belongings.  
  
Now he found himself gazing through the flaming red fire in Lupin's fireplace. Sirius's handsome face floated Harry's mind and the whole forgotten event became alive to him once again. The faint body of Sirius fell backwards and a year had passed within a minute when he had actually vanished behind the veil...  
  
He now felt warm inside like he'd just sipped some hot cocoa and slowly, his eyes were drooping...  
  
A hand touched Harry and shook him lightly. He opened his eyes, straightened his glasses, settled himself straight on the chair, looked in front of him and saw someone standing there. It was the new caretaker, dressed in emerald colored robes and a wand to her right hand, who was observing him in a suspicious way. 


End file.
